1.02.2013

6 Focus Ahead on 2013

I suck at making and keeping new years resolutions.  I know I am not alone because really...name one person who is good at keeping them every single year.  Exactly. I like the 101 in 1001 instead. It allows me to slowly progress on 101 items over 1001 days. But of course with like a month left I fly into panic mode when I realize I am only like 50% done. But I still find I have a better shot of making it work than I do new years resolutions.

Over the holidays I did a lot of reflecting over what I want to get out of 2013. Not resolutions, but things I want to focus on over the whole year to ensure they become an active part of my life and our family. Things that I won't stop doing when January 15th December 31st hits.

Food Waste Management
I know that food waste can be composted but just because we can dispose of it in a sustainable manner doesn't mean we should be producing that waste in the first place. Combine that with the results of our waste audit and we know that we need to get food waste under control. During the month of March our Eco-Challenge will be to evaluate our food waste to discover opportunities for improvement.

Upcycling
I have recently caught the bug and I kind of love it. I have a lot of ideas of ways to reuse items or things I need to find reuses for. I just need to act on them this year to reduce the amount of clutter in our home waiting to be upcycled. Glass jars, wine boxes, soap pumps, egg cartons, burlap...oh the fun we are going to have!

GMO's
I want them out of our house and out of our life. But let's be realistic...that isn't going to happen over night. We already have a good understand of what products we buy that contain GMO's so now all we need to do is find substitutes. During the month of February we will be challenging ourselves to find replacements for some of the items on our list. 

Energy Efficiency
Waste, food, clothing...those are all easy to tackle because you can visibly see what you are working to reduce. Energy efficiency though...it is hard to see it proactive rather than reactive based on consumption rates. This summer we will tackle some of the problem areas in our home in an effort to beat the heat and proactively prepare for the winter months. 

Green Projects
Last year we incorporated green design principles into our pool project. This year we will continue with that project and also start our landscaping project. For any projects we tackle within our home we will consider sustainable products and materials. I'm looking forward to this challenge and finding some cool furnishings and new products on the market. 

So this is a little of what you can expect to see around here this year. You will also see a new look (blog redesign!), more from Go Green Get Fit, 10000000007 reasons why I love apple cider vinegar, another year of veggie gardening, and hopefully more posts from Joey.

What are you planning to do this year?

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6 comments:

  1. I cant wait to see your redesign!!!! And I am so happy that we connected this last year. Looking forward to another green year ahead together! :)

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  2. There's always more to do, isn't there? It's exciting in some ways, and completely overwhelming in others.

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  3. Nicole - It can be overwhelming for sure! That is why I like picking a few things to work on and really focusing on those.

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  4. I'm working on a couple of up cycling projects and will share them when completed. One is made from wine bottles!
    Bob

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  5. Sounds like a cool project Bob! Can't wait to see what it is.

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