month two

Last month I was committed to consuming less, with a big effort not to buy any new crafting materials and to stay out of thrift stores. Well I must admit I can't say that I didn't buy any new craft material or that I stayed out of thrift stores, but I can say that I was much more aware of what I was buying and my buying habits. I did actually buy and consume much, much less than I normally would. I do tend to visit the local thrift stores on a weekly basis, not looking for anything in particular but more for a browse and hoping to find a treasure or two and with that realisation I stayed away most weeks and only when when I was looking for something in particular.

I've been looking through all my crafting supplies and I've made a real effort (one that I want to continue) to make things with what I have. It's a great feeling to use up what you already have.

I tend to make poor clothes shopping choices at this time of year with all the sales about. But I've gone though my wardrobe to see what I actually have before buying anything. Then it has to be something I need, like I have a lack of T-shirt type tops for wearing around the house, or I'm looking for a lightweight summer cardigan to wear with a few tops I have already. If it doesn't fit in with what I'm looking for I've left it at the shop (sometimes hard!)

Committing to this change of consuming and buying less for January had made me really aware of what I'm consuming and my shopping habits. Hopefully in the coming months with this awareness I'll make better choices.

My change for February is use less paper and make sure I'm recycling all the paper I can. There are a few ways I hope to do this, first get off mailing lists from companies that I have no interest in buying things from. All sorts of catalogues get sent to me, I don't buy anything from them. I was looking at the some the other day and thought there must be a big cost to the environment with the printing of all of these that I just recycle without looking inside. So I've already started by ringing some companies to take my name off their mailing lists. By the end of the month I hope I've removed my name from all of them.

I also know that I could be better in recycling paper in my home, I don't have a separate bin for paper upstairs so some paper ends up with other rubbish and not in the paper recycling so I'm going to set up a system for that.

I'm sure as the month goes on I'll find more ways to save and recycle paper! Here's to February's one small change

the photo above has nothing to do with "one small change" it's a pink pineapple lily that has finally flowered in my garden after I planted the bulb over 3 years ago, I'm so glad, it was worth the wait