Zero Waste

So sorry I've been away again for awhile. I haven't been too busy that I can't write...more just enjoying my free evenings whether its going for a walk outside, working out, cooking, reading or watching TV. I do have to say that being I am on the computer most hours of the day at work, I have very little want/need to be on it at home. Some days I'm tempted to do a "technology fast" just to see how much time I do spend on the computer, watching TV, etc. While I don't think technology is a bad thing - it is so easy to sit down at the computer and waste an hour in what feels like 10 minutes.  We are exposed to and have the ability to find information about pretty much anything we want. Again not necessarily a bad thing but at the same time I think it can make life a little more chaotic than it should be. I remember reading somewhere that the amount of information we are exposed to in one day through newspaper, tv, internet, etc is more than our ancestors learned in an entire lifetime! Isn't that crazy to think about? 

While I too was spending my precious time browsing the web I came across a family that lives the "zero waste" lifestyle. They basically have no garbage - at all. They bring their glass jars to the store and buy in bulk, compost food scraps and paper, only have like 20 items of clothing, purge family heirlooms (she says this also gets rid of that guilt that we may pass on from generation to generation when you are given that old hat of your grandmas that you'll most likely keep in the box), etc. I do think it is a bit extreme of a lifestyle - but very simple none the less. The mom actually started doing this after she had an experience as a nanny where the family she nannied for lost all their belongs in a house fire. She wanted to not be so connected to material things and live free from clutter and chaos. Pretty good concept if you ask me. However  after reading about this family and opening up our spare (slightly exploding) closet, I thought to myself -- nope couldn't get rid of that, nope not that either, might need that someday, need to save this/that, need to save that box in case I need to wrap a gift, need to save those stickers I got for free in the mail because they are kinda cute and if I ever need to entertain a child at our apartment (not likely) they would work perfect! Sometimes I crack myself up over the rationale I give myself for keeping something. 

Here is an article on that family I was talking about:  Zero Waste Home. The mom also does a blog which can be found at http://zerowastehome.blogspot.com/.