first (now 8th--whoops!) of march: green goal

My new green goal is to buy environmentally friendly products whenever possible.  I know, it sounds wimpy, but I have been working really hard at my February goal of turning off the lights and have really been succeeding!  I know it's not just because of my efforts (like warmer weather might really have more to do with it), but our electricity bill went down by $45 last month!  That's pretty awesome, right?

So, here's the deal.  Finances willing (I'm sorry, but when you're perpetually poor, sometimes you just can't afford to buy the expensive stuff), I am going to start replacing my toiletry and cleaning products with environmentally friendly ones.   I figure, if I do this as I run out, instead of some intense purge, it wont be so hard on my wallet.

I really love Burt's Bees, products, although they are quite expensive.  I'm hoping that I'll be able to find slightly more affordable shampoo lines in Kansas City.  Maybe at Whole Foods?  Of course, they have to actually work too...I am still quite skeptical of natural deodorant and toothpaste....eek!  I am all about going green, but I don't want my efforts to prevent me from making friends because I smell bad!

Mrs. Meyer's earth-friendly cleaning products are great.  They smell wonderful!  One of my roommates in Boston cleaned with this stuff every weekend.  She was always mopping the floor...yikes!  But anyway, it always smelled great in our house!  Why have a house that smells like chemicals, when it could smell like lavender?  I mean, really. 

Kiehl's and Origins also make great, albeit expensive, natural beauty products.  Again, I know the cost is greater, but I just feel so much better about myself when I'm not surrounding my body with harsh chemicals.  I can't actually feel a difference physically (although I have never "quit" chemical products entirely), but mentally it makes me feel good.  Whenever I use my origins face wash, I feel awesome. My friend in college took an environmental science course about the chemicals found in our daily lives and she informed me that my favorite exfoliating apricot face wash is one of the worst things on the market.  (I must admit, I have bought it since....sorry, Cait.) She also told me all about the horrors of BPAs in Nalgenes before it hit mainstream media. 

If only everyone would start buying greener products.  Not only would it multiply the benefits to the environment, but it would help to drop the costs of these products too!  (At least some of them...I feel like Kiehl's will always be expensive.)  So, new goal:  to replace current products with their natural versions when they run out.  Wish me luck! 

Okay, update:  I wrote this just before March first, but have been too busy to post.  Turns out on March 1st, I went shopping with some friends and bought new face cream that is definitely NOT environmentally friendly.  Whoops.  But, wrinkles (or trying not to have wrinkles) might be right up there with clean teeth and not smelling bad on my list of things that are worth the chemicals.