Phase I is (somewhat) complete

I’m feeling a bit rebellious this week, so I finally made cleaner at work, out of vinegar (which was strangely in the staff room..) and water to clean the bathrooms.

I’ve been wanting to do that for a while since the cleaner we have smells so strongly, it almost makes you gag. Now I need to put some up at the registers, so the pregnant ones don’t have any excuse not to clean anymore.

Okay, so I know that’s totally like, so what? but that, my friends, was just Phase I of my plan. If I can get everyone, meaning the managers mostly, into the greener cheaper cleaners, then I can work on implementing recycling, which would make me über happy, since I can only guess that the paper thrown away in the store is somewhere close to a hundred pounds a week. * figures are only guesstimates and should not be taken as accurate fact.

I’m still young and against “the man” and I’m not too fond of corporations, even as I get my paycheck from them. As long as I have to submit to their stupid rules, regulations and “sell more” mantras, I at least want to make some good, if small, changes.

And so it begins,

Halloween has past and though signs of this have been present well before then, it has now gathered too much power to be ignored: mass-marketing Christmas season.

Christmas music is beginning to blare out of the store and mall speakers. Holiday decorations are on sale, now! Despite the economy, I have seen an increase in shoppers and money spent at my retail job, and while out shopping.

But what about Thanksgiving, it’s not even happened yet? you ask. Don’t stress, there’s still plenty of decorative leaves and turkey candle holders, too.

Its probably time to start thinking of ways to “green-up” these holidays in the house, without spending too much, but while making sure its all “holly-jolly.”

I am so glad that I will be on woods-hugged farm way in the countryside for Black Friday. For those of you so lucky to be drawn into the shopping festivals: good luck. Stores only carry a handful of the best deals (e.g. $300 laptops, or wiis for any price), and no matter how early you get in line, there will be at least 20 people in front of you. I advise wearing protective gear, and maybe some mace, to tackle the crowd. Its dangerous times people!

More Exciting Than the Grammy’s

Well, I am sure everyone’s heard by now the results of the most historical day of our lives. The winner is… OBAMA!!

My friends and I were myspacing last night, nervously awaiting the announcement. (We’re all pretty liberal).

This is really exciting, a good change for America. Myself, I’m fairly moderate, and I think that after so much right-wing control, a little left-wingedness will keep the balance.

Do It!

I have to tell everyone about Campaign Earth! It is a website about going green, with the usual, common-sense tips, but unique. Unique, because it challenges you to make one step towards going green every month. By this I don’t mean that they say “I challenge you to make …,” no, they give you a challenge every month. I signed up in October. My challenge was to lessen my junk mail, by contacting DMA Mail Preference Service.
This month, it is just as simple: Change your two most used light bulbs to CFLs. I encourage everyone to sign up for the challenge. It consists of small, simple changes each month, to help the planet. This is especially good for those who want to help, but don’t know where to start, like looking at your room after your mother told you to clean it when you were younger. There’s just so much to do, and you’d dearly like to go play instead… But one step at a time, it can be done without taking too much of your time or money.

GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAL!!!!

That was totally lame, I admit, but I couldn’t think of a better title. So, this isn’t really about achieving anything quite yet, but more about what I want to achieve. I have finally done somethings that I kept meaning to do in October, like get trying to clean with hydrogen peroxide and buying vinegar. I also switched to Seventh Generation recycled toilet paper and paper towels. But October is over, its now November and I have some new goals to layout here. I figure posting them on the internet will hold me more accountable. We’ll see, but here they are:

1) Start a herb garden, so I can finally grow my own mint tea!

2) Get rid of all the effing junk in our apartment. Possibly by shoving it all into the roommate’s room, it’s messy enough that he won’t notice.

3) Create less trash. This will be a hard one.

$) Stop trying to capitalize numbers. And, although not so much about green living, but to get to the effing gym. The wedding’s only 8 months away!