Mackenzie Carose

Doing My Part: Sustainability

By Mackenzie 2 Comments

As I have mentioned previously, the environment and its permeability is something that I do not take lightly. Although it can seem overwhelming to do all the things when it comes to being more environmentally aware, little things can and do really add up! Starting with tiny things you can do and just working on changing your mindset when it comes to products, can have a bigger impact than you think.

Wooden cleaning brushes are so much better for the environment than plastic and polyurethane made dish sponges. This particular one is made from bamboo as is the one in a photo listed below.

Cloth bags to bring to the store should seem second-nature and it can be super frustrating when you realize that you left your bags at home while checking out at the grocery store. I try to remember to bring them back to the car after unloading groceries.

Wood butter is a great way to keep your wooden utensils lasting as long as possible! It is also great for your cutting boards as well 🙂 No one wants cracked wooden utensils that you have to toss because let’s face it, wooden splinters are no bueno 😉 Seriously, my utensils have never looked better!

I don’t know why it took so long for me to say buh-bye to paper towels, but I finally just dove in the deep end and stopped purchasing them. I then picked up what they call “un-paper towels”. They look like wash cloths but they are much thinner, like paper towel thin, and they are 100% cotton. Mine came in a pack of 12 with grey striping around the edges and they are such a great investment! They do the job of regular paper towels but instead of going in the trash, they go right in the washing machine! No more spending money on paper towels 🙂

As an aside, we have a cat. As you may or may not know, cats tend to barf. It is gross and smelly. We have separate heavy duty white cloth towels that we use for cleaning up the cat barf. They are 100% cotton as well and they do the job perfectly.

Any tips for sustainability or living a more green lifestyle that you can share? Let me know! 🙂

Simplify: A Check-In

By Mackenzie 3 Comments

In January, a wee seven months ago, I set an intention for 2019. My word for this year was going to be SIMPLIFY and I was going to do my darndest to make that happen. I needed to make some changes in my life overall and this one word would and could encompass the changes I needed to make.

How am I doing so far? Pretty good actually 🙂

I wanted to work on my health and act accordingly concerning the foods I put in my body and I also wanted to incorporate some sort of exercise regimen. A get-back-to-basics if you will. If I am being honest, it took until late spring to get the exercise thing going, but I have been working out consistently at least five days a week for a few months now and I am really happy that I have stuck with it. I feel better and not so much like a sloth with legs.

In the food department, I am trying to incorporate more fruits and vegetables into my repertoire and eating less processed food.  Simple but better. 

In terms of simplifying my home, I did quite a bit of that when we moved apartments in the spring. My husband and I got rid of a lot of stuff (donated, recycled, etc…) but I know that there is more that we could do.

With life comes running errands. And more errands. And wait for it, more errands. We have tried to not do too much in that department where it consumes us and takes up all our time. Some days we win at that, some days we don’t. I truly appreciate online ordering for diapers, etc. and am attempting to get better at writing out lists so we know what we have to purchase and not go back out because we inevitably forgot something. A work in progress to be sure, but I hope to get this part of my life simplified even more. Life is too short to always be in your car, even if it is to Trader Joe’s 😉

We are simplifying our bill payments and we almost have them all automated. Yessssss…..

Simplifying your life is always an ongoing process. I have said no to events, I have chosen what is important over what someone might think, because I have found out that people are going to think what they want and you have no control over that. I don’t always succeed in that way of thinking, but it is one I have to consistently remember. I need quiet and simplicity and I have learned that people don’t always understand that, and that is okay.

Did you set an intention and/or goal for this year? How are you doing with it?

Simplify: My Word For 2019

By Mackenzie 7 Comments

If you have been a reader of my blog for a while, you know I am not a New Year’s Resolution kind of girl. I am more of a “word” or “phrase” kind of person.

That being said, my word for 2019 is SIMPLIFY.

Here’s the thing: 2018 kind of sucked. I was supposed to Let It Go, and I did no such thing. Between bringing home my second baby, to my post-partum depression, to other life and world events, it was not my strongest year. I didn’t let anything go except possibly dirty diapers.

There’s no use in crying over spilled milk though. Last year is in the rear view and it is time to press forward.

On to 2019!

When trying to figure out what I wanted for the next 365 days, the overwhelming need in my soul, was to simplify. This pertains to many different aspects of my life, which I think is important for my overall well-being.

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MY HEALTH

Food: less processed food. More water. More whole foods. Simple meals. More veggies.

Physical: more movement, more walking. Incorporate meditation back into my life.

MY  HOME

Get rid of all the things! Seriously, my apartment has looked like a tornado has hit it for the past couple of months and I am going to run screaming out the front door one of these days if it is not rectified.

Also, we plan on upgrading to a larger apartment sometime this year and there is NO WAY we are dragging all this crap into a new dwelling.

SAYING NO TO DOING ALL THE THINGS

No more running a million errands. No more driving here, there and everywhere. Try to have more things delivered if need be, to free up time to spend together as a family. No more going places we don’t want to go and seeing people we don’t want to see.

Freeing up this need to get “all the things done”. More white space. More time at the beach just watching the waves hit the sand. More walks. More time.

ANYTHING THAT CAN BE AUTOMATED

Still working on this one, but I am determined.

Simplify. Simplify. Simplify.

Who’s with me? 🙂

What is your word for 2019? Let me know in the comments!