It ain't easy being green

Being from California, I've always been fairly environmentally conscious; it's kind of impossible not to be in the SF Bay Area.

Since moving to Texas, my habits have gradually changed for the worse. No curbside recycling in my city? Then I'm tossing cans and bottles in the trash. You say I can't recycle magazines and catalogs? Into the trash they go. It's hot outside (okay, it's always hot outside), crank that a/c down to 74.

Well this summer, I'm going to try to amend my planet-be-dammed ways and try to become a bit greener in anticipation of moving back to civilization next summer.

Step 1: Reduce.

• I'm reducing our energy consumption by keeping the thermostat at 78 during the day. This means I'm a bit on the warm side during the day, but I can remedy that by going outside for 5 minutes. When I walk back inside the house seems downright cold by comparison.
  

• We're running the pool filter at the bare minimum of hours needed to keep the pool clean and chlorinated (salt, not chemical chlorine). I need to change the timer to have the pool running early a.m. rather than in the afternoon during peak energy consumption times.
  

• I'm line drying all of our clothes so I'm not running the dryer.
  

• The dishwasher is run only when it can't fit another untensil, and then it's run at off-peak hours.

• Computers/TVs/DVD players, etc. are not only off when not in use, but the power to them is cut. Apparently these things have quite the power suck even when they're off.
  

• We've already switched most of the bulbs in the house to the low energy ones, so as additional bulbs burn out, I'll continue to switch those over.
  

• When I have to drive, I'm combining as many errands as possible into the trip so I'm not driving as often. I'm also trying to run errands/do my driving early in the a.m. so the exhaust isn't trapped by the afternoon heat.

• I'm working on reducing the amount of processed foods we're eating since I'll be home and have time to cook. Less processed foods = less packaging to be thrown away. Also less crap going into my kids.
  

• I signed up here to stop phone directories from being delivered to my home. I also signed up here to stop catalogs from companies that I never buy from.
  

These are all easy fixes. The harder ones come next.

Simple pleasures for simple minds

It really is the little things that brighten my day:

Letting the Brat pick out her own clothes and sending her off to school in a white dress, purple sweater, tan lepoard print tights and pink cowboy boots.

Cutting her PB&J sandwich into a heart shape, and hearing her tell her teachers that she asks me to do it that way because she loves me so much.

Rolling up a newspaper to make a pretend horn and watching the kids' eyes light up and their laughter as we each take turns.

Letting the Runt feed me little bits of his dinner, and him opening his mouth like a baby bird for bites of my dinner.

Getting both kids out of the tub and sniffing their clean, shampooed little kid scent.