I’m crawling out of writer’s block cage for my annual Earth Day check in. As in past years, I’m sharing some products I love (which may have affiliate links), and some better for the planet habits I’ve tried to develop. Unlike other years, there won’t be a bunch of extraneous text and I’m not taking the time to make this post look pretty.
The Good
1) I (finally) tried laundry detergent sheets. I really like the Earth Breeze Laundry Sheets in the Fresh scent. When you first open the package, the scent is overwhelming. I store mine in a resealable plastic bag (I know, I know – so much for kicking plastic – but it’s not single use). The scent is subtle on laundered clothes. And, wow, do these sheets clean. They have gotten out grass, mud, blood, and tomato sauce with no additional scrubbing. I do not recommend these for water resistant fabrics, and for towels I use a different detergent – the 9 Elements liquid. The vinegar in the 9 Elements keeps the towels so fluffy, no-one misses fabric softener.
2) The Air-Fryer. We were late to the party on this one – only adding it about a year ago, but I love that I make french fries and peach crisp without turning on my oven in the middle of summer. It takes so little time – maybe 15-18 minutes of energy – unlike my oven which can be adding heat to the home for about two hours by the time it preheats, cooks, and then cools down. The added environmental benefit? The A/C doesn’t have to work overtime.
3) My Pela Phone Case is adorable. The link is to the basic, but I went fancy with flowers. I bought an Alice in Wonderland case from one of the designer brands. It lasted 3 weeks and was a horrible waste of plastic. The Pela case cost a few dollars more, but looks brand new after 5 months of use. When I’m done with it, I can toss it in the compost.
4) Taking my lunch to work. I have an adorable pink flamingo lunch box. I don’t use extra gas in the car to get lunch somewhere. I usually take “plan-aheads” or make my own “single serve” cottage cheese by scooping from a large container into a reasonable portion.
5) My prairie rain garden plants are thriving. By using native plants and collecting rainwater, I have made my backyard a lovely place to relax, at least when it is not full of neighborhood kids playing Spikeball or Cornhole. And when it is full of kids laughing and having fun, it’s a lovely place for an entirely different reason.
The Bad
- I cannot manage to quit string cheese. All those single serving plastics protect much deliciousness. I limit myself to two a week, but that still seems extravagant.
- I don’t compost year round. There has to be some way to do better composting in the winter that doesn’t involve a $500 countertop model. My countertop is too full already.
- And this is where the issue with words and writing for an audience comes in. There is so much more I could say about what I would like to work on, like how I would like to plant more clover in the yard or stop consuming out of season fruit, but I have my doubts that anyone reads these or cares what I have to say. I have lost my motivation to set forth a public accountability.
Whelp, that’s all for this year’s Earth Day post. If you’ve made it this far, be kind to bees, and Mother Earth. Maybe if we’re all a little nicer to her, she’ll dial back the crazy weather.
Lola Karns 