It occurred to me it might help to see how some of these low-waste behaviors fit together in a normal day, so today I’m going to share my morning routine.
Striving for a low waste lifestyle is a matter of changing small habits, products, and behaviors over time. I didn’t wake up one morning and start doing all these things at once. It’s been a process over time and some mornings I do better than others. Over time my habits have gelled and it would feel strange to do things any differently. As always, take what works for you and leave the rest for tomorrow!
First, coffee! In the summer, I don’t drink hot coffee in the morning, but I always want an iced coffee later, so grinding the coffee (which I refill at the Concord Coop) while walking the dogs is always part of our morning routine (in case my husband is reading this, I want to be clear that he is often the one doing this). While the water boils for the coffee, my husband makes our low waste breakfast, while I hang the laundry I washed the night before on the clothesline or hang the diapers on the clothes rack.
If it’s been dry, I also water the vegetable garden and anything I planted recently early so that the water gets absorbed into the soil before it gets hot. Recently we’ve been putting our chicks outside at this time. It’s so cute to watch them peck around at the ants and garden scraps.
We’re homeschooling this year (that could be it’s own blog), so it’s always awhile before the kids amble down with their water bottles for their oatmeal and tea (in the summer, I often make sun tea also and let it steep on the car so the toddler doesn’t break it).
After breakfast, I get ready for the day, which is a pretty simple process. First, I do a quick wash with a washcloth and put on my refillable deodorant. I bought this deodorant last December at We Fill Good in Kittery and I’m loving it! It works really well and is easy to use. Next, I brush my hair with this brush from the Concord Coop and brush my teeth with this toothbrush from We Fill Good and these tooth tabs I bought at Bonafide Green Goods in Concord. I also use an organic eyeliner. These natural products are more expensive, but once you cut out all the unnecessary extra bathroom stuff, you end up saving money.
In case you’re worried about my hair, I wash it with a shampoo bar at night a couple times a week and let it dry overnight. I know not everyone’s hair will let them do this, but I encourage you to try it! Each time you change your routine, it’ll take time for your hair to catch up.
Getting dressed is really easy because I created a capsule wardrobe a few years ago and almost all my tops match almost all my bottoms. My clothes are mostly from used sources and my underwear is from Pact. I still haven’t found a great source for athletic socks.
Okay, now I’m washed, dressed, fed, and ready to homeschool my crazy children!
- Hannah
Comentarios