Green Packing?

We're moving again. After a lovely 8 month visit up north with the family, British Columbia is calling our hearts home. So we are back in packing mode.

I've been trying to think about how to pack 'greenly'. And if its possible.

While I can't get away from cardboard boxes and packing tape, there are a few things that are making it greener.

First of all, I guess the best way we are "recycling" things is by getting all our boxes from the grocery stores. They have certain days where locals can come get as many boxes as they want, in all sizes so we've been doing that. Thankfully, they have lots of small ones. Being 8 months pregnant, I'm doing very VERY little lifting so the smaller I can pack things like books & movies, the better.

Also, while I'll use some newspaper to wrap things in, I'm using a lot of our clothing & blankets to pack fragile items in. The clothing is all getting packed anyways, so why not use a tshirt to wrap a pie plate, or a towel to put in the bottom of glass items?! Its working great and at least this way I don't get my hands all black from newsprint!

Its just two small things that most anyone can think of but if you imagine what an impact all new boxes and all new packing paper would produce then its the small things that make a difference!

Need some new changes

I can't say I've made any NEW small steps lately. I guess life has been pretty routine so I haven't had to wonder what else I can do to make changes.

This time of year, the produce is still pretty sad, and all the food is imported. How I'm longing for fresh garden produce!!

We are looking to relocate either very soon or by summer so I don't think I'll be able to plant my own garden this year. With a baby due in 6 weeks, it will be very difficult to do anyways. But where we are relocating to is VERY eco-friendly, lots of organic farmers, lots of recycling options, and general green & crunchy people. I can't wait.

Lots of mamas cloth diaper & wear their babies & practice organic living. There are farmers markets of veggies, fruits, meats, eggs & even milk available all over there so I'm longing to immerse myself in that new & wonderful culture.

But for the weeks or months that we remain here, I'm just glad that the sun is finally starting to melt the mounds & mounds of snow, we are able to open the windows for fresh air & get outside to splash in the slush puddles.

There isn't a place to hang a clothes line and because we are moving I don't want to install a new one so tomorrow I will head to the store & get 2 drying racks, one for each mini porch on the back of my home that faces the sun all day long. I'm eager to to hang my diapers again, and once I can have a real clothes line, my sheets & blankets will get a good dose of sunlight & UV rays to freshen them up from being cooped up for a MUCH TOO LONG winter!!

Yay for the coming of spring!!