Thirtydays

Trash less

Trying to trash less is difficult.

Yesterday I went into a store to get some household items and dog toys. Dog toys to replace the ones that Krystal’s dog, Sunny killed a few weeks ago lol.

I got to the register and the cashier asked if I wanted to purchase a bag for 5 cents. Of course not. Did I bring my own bags? Of course not 😂. Luckily I shopped without a cart so everything I was purchasing I was carrying. 10 items😂 Ugh I need to train my brain to grab those recycle bags on my way into the store. In my defense, the bags are in the back of the car. I guess I should just put them in the front seat but I hate clutter lol.

Less garbage:

I bought some reusable paper towels. Not that I am getting rid of the real thing altogether. I will still keep them for dog barf and grease clean ups. The reusables are 12×12 inches and made out of cotton flannel. They roll up around a cardboard tube. You can take them off one by one. I got them from Amazon but they are actually made in Eugene Oregon, Marley’s Monsters reusable unpaper towels. A little spendy but over time I hope to use less of the real ones and this is more about the environment. I guess if I wasn’t so lazy I could make my own. They are just flannel squares serger stitched around the edges.

Cotton balls. I use at least a bag of cotton balls each month to remove my eye makeup. I know, they are tiny but everything adds up over time. I found some reusable makeup removers from Wild Minimalist that are basically just like the unpaper towels but double layered. These are also made in Oregon. They measure 2×2 and are cotton flannel. I just squirt some makeup remover on them, use and toss them in the dirty clothes. They wash up perfectly and again I could probably make these lol. Spoiler, maybe that’s what’s coming for Christmas….😊

I hate to admit this but I use a lot of paper plates. I was reaching for one last night and reminded myself I should be using the real plates. Most of the paper plate use is for cooking/reheating in the microwave of greasy stuff. So it’s a toss up between them and paper towels as clean up afterwards. To explain, I am not connected to city sewers and I have a septic system. I definitely don’t want to wash any grease down the drain or it could cause a grease plug and a back up of the system. And yes I am speaking from experience 😂🤣

Thirtydays

64 Oz of water per day

Where did July go? 64 ounces of water seemed like a lot to toss back. Eight, 8oz glasses per day. Well apparently I drink a ton of water because at the end of the day I was measuring in at 90-100 ounces. I have to add that I quit drinking coffee on the weekdays so I probably traded that liquid for water but hey, my blood pressure went back to normal so, yay!

While trying to decide what my next thirtydays would be I was at the store buying groceries and as usual I didn’t bring my recycle bags in with me. It’s not that I don’t have any I just never bring them in. So this month I will be trying to reduce waste. No store bought bags because I’m too lazy to go back and get them. If the apples I’m buying are in a huge plastic container I won’t be buying them. As most of you know I do a lot of shopping at Costco which means buying in bulk. That can either be a curse or a blessing when it comes to packaging. I will also be taking that into consideration. Ultimately the end result will mean less garbage in the cans that has to be taken to the dump. I know I’m just one person but for some reason I produce a lot of trash.

Wish me luck🤞🏽trash less.

Thirtydays

Number 7

For this thirtydays I will try to drink at least 64oz of water per day. I know. Boring. Lol but this is part of my plan to get healthy. I’m trying to come up with a plan on how to measure it out during the day. I guess that’s four 16oz glasses a day. That doesn’t seem like that much. Hmm. Maybe this will be an easy one. Wish me luck🤞🏽

Disneyland

In Less than Thirtydays

Well, my paper list is done and I think I’m ready. I will do a last minute repack just to make sure I remembered socks and unders lol. Probably two repacks 😂

I also packed a backpack specifically for the park. I’ll be flying in late and I don’t want to have to worry about what I’m taking to the park in the morning. I checked my paper list to the contents of my suitcase one more time. I think I’m good😂 I must add that this is my first ever carry-on only trip. I’m so excited. I’ve always wanted to do carry-on only but have never been able to squeeze it all in. I squished everything I will need into a tiny suitcase and a backpack. Granted I’m only going to be there for three days but you never know what you will need. I was going to have Krystal and Randy drive my suitcase down but I didn’t trust them to not get it stolen lol. So they took my pillow and my blanket instead. I will only be a little mad if they lose them lol.

I dropped the dogs off this morning. And by dogs I had a plus one lol. Sunny is going to Canine Country Club with Axel and Kohl. Axel was not a happy camper. He kept trying to leave with me. Sunny and Kohl were clueless. Totally engrossed in sniffing every inch of the floor. Well I guess I know who really loves me. 🐶 I told Kris, don’t forget Sunny when you pick them up lol.

On my way to the airport. While driving I was thinking it would totally suck if I got a flat tire. Since I dont know how to change one, lol. I would definitely miss my flight. Luckily I made it to the airport. I had to park a mile away. I hope I can remember where my car is. I drove the Cooper so parking would be easy but it’s short and it hides between cars. I took a picture of where it’s at so that might help me.

Check in was fast. I flew through TSA. Well that is until they scanned my bag. Note to self. If you are bringing a bunch of quarters and pennies for the penny squishing machines, make them easier to find. The TSA agent was digging all through my suitcase. Lol. He asked me if I knew where they were. Uh no. He finally found them in my other backpack. By that time my perfectly organized bag was a disaster. Thanks lol.

Oh and I look like a dork. I didnt want to wear shoes I had to tie so I opted for my birkenstocks. I also don’t like walking barefoot through the TSA checkpoint soooo I have socks on. With camo shorts. And a cat shirt.😂😂🤣🤣😂😂 I’m quite the fashionista lol.

Finally boarding. I boarded through the back door. Lol. They took my suitcase at the gate because they said it wouldn’t fit in the overhead compartment lol. The airplane is so small. Total 76 seats. I’m in seat 17b next to the window and the engine. There are only 19 rows total. The windows don’t have shades 🌞😎 It is so awesome. We are flying over the clouds. They look like snow. I’m kinda glad I have to wear a mask. Smells like a cross between a lawnmower and a room full of sweaty people. It really makes me appreciate first class and big airplanes 😂

Our flight has a complementary beer or red wine drink. Umm I’ll pass on that. Maybe a cute little box of water and a Kind bar. Really don’t want to get airsick.

Super short layover in Seattle and then on to Los Angeles. Of course I got lost trying to find the next gate. I blame the signage.

The next airplane was bigger and I was sitting in row 7. Closer to the front.

I was so lucky and got to sit next to two obnoxious people, a mom and college age son and a screaming baby behind me. The mom read a book made out of paper the entire flight so she had her light on the whole time. I fell asleep and I woke to a spotlight glaring down on me. She had turned my light on too🙄. The son kept complaining about the screaming baby and that he would never have kids. Good. The obnoxious gene will stop there😂

Randy picked me up. Got to the hotel at 1 a.m. So tired but need a shower to get rid of airplane germs. Getting up early to beat the crowds😁

Thirtydays

No snooze

Well last day of no snooze and so far I haven’t used it for all of my work days. It has been slightly annoying. I’ve been waking up a half hour before the alarm is supposed to go off. So then I contemplate getting up or not. Lol. Not going back to sleep. That would be torture.

What will my next thirtydays be? It’s hard to say. I can’t believe I only have six more. Where has this year gone?

Recap of the first six.

1. no online shopping

2. No candy/chocolate

3. Shop small business

4. The Purge

5. Drink a green drink every day

6. No snooze

The hardest one so far was number one. No online shopping. I haven’t really quit doing that. I think that the thirtydays just made me more aware of what I was buying online and to think about number three. Shop small. I try to be more aware of small businesses now.

The easiest one by far was number five. I’m still drinking a green drink every weekday morning before work. It’s been even easier since I’ve been getting up earlier lol.

Number four, the purge, will probably last all year. I have way too much stuff for one person.

Number two, no candy or chocolate was tough and I may need to revisit this one as well. Sugar makes me a little crazy sometimes.

I think, for the most part, thirtydays has helped me organize parts of my life. Not completely but a little at a time.

Disneyland

Less than Thirtydays to plan and pack😲

Okay, so this is a bit off topic for my thirtydays blog but it has relevance to that and to Foxpartyofone.

Krystal : Let’s go to Disneyland California Adventure. The Avengers Campus is open and Camden would love it.

Me: Okay, when.

Krystal : Two weeks from now.

Me: 😲😲😲😳 are you crazy? That’s not enough time to plan and pack. I need at least 3 months.

Krystal : Be spontaneous.

Me: Impossible. No way. I can’t. I am a calculated travel planner. I need time to think about the logistics of everything.

Compromise. One month. Eek!

1. Dogs. Tracy, my dogsitter is not available….so dogs will need to be boarded at Canine Country Club. That’s not an issue. The fact that they need the kennel cough vaccine is. So, now I’m at the Vet and there is a, “several” hour wait time because Axel needs an exam to get that vaccination. 🙄 It is so long that they say I can leave and come back. So I did. I went to the gym and back to the house lol. Went back and checked in. The called me and made an appointment for later in the month with the assurance that it would be enough time prior to boarding them. I just hate waiting till the last second to get stuff done.

2. Tickets. Randy got the park passes and made our reservations to enter the park. They are limiting the amount of people in per day, masks are still required but they will be opening it up to guests outside of California on June 15th. So the rush is on. Not just for us but all of America lol.

3. Flights. I booked my flight to depart out of Eugene. I think that will be the easiest to get to. The only one available for a late departure was through Alaska Airlines and there is a layover in Seattle. I won’t fly in until midnight but I won’t have to worry about driving around Los Angeles. Randy will be picking me up. The flight back is a straight shot with United.

4. Packing. I’m doing carry-on plus a backpack. I think I’ll be fine for space. I will only be there three days. This is going to be a very quick trip.

Getting my paper list started. Wish me luck. I’m going to need it😂

Thirtydays

No snooze

So day two of no snooze is on the books!

In the past, I was setting my alarm for 6 a.m. Pushing the snooze until 7 a.m. Sometimes not getting out of bed until 7:15 a.m. Mind you I need to leave the house by 7:50 a.m. at the latest. So thirty-five minutes to let the dogs out, feed them, make a green drink, take a shower, get dressed, make up my face and let the dogs out again. This schedule makes for a slightly stressful morning lol. So, Tuesday, June 1st, I changed my routine. I set my alarm for 6:30 a.m., unchecked the snooze feature on my phone and crossed my fingers. I also sleep with a noise app on my phone. I set it to fade out at 5:00 a.m.

Did it work? Yes! I actually woke up at 6 a.m. Tuesday and Wednesday. It gave me time to lay in bed and plan my day.

I know that’s only two days but I am semi confident lol.

Wish me luck 🍀🤞🏽

Thirtydays

Green drinking

Wow, this thirtydays has to be THE most boring of them all lol. I have been drinking a green drink every morning before work but none on the weekends. I did add some to the Ingredient list. Ground hemp seeds, ground flax and ground chia seeds. I tried to add a banana but that was terrible. So was adding blueberries. I guess I’m not a fruit smoothie drinker. The major task has been getting up with enough time to make one. That means less snoozing and more getting out of bed lol. With that, I have my next thirtydays. No snooze. So far, this morning I was up on the first buzz. I will still continue to purge the unwanted stuff in my house. I took two more bags to Salvation Army. That is such a liberating feeling. With every bag that leaves the house I feel a little bit more organized and now with fire season in effect, there will be more donations less burning stuff lol. Not that I burn everything. Just the garbage.

Thirtydays

The Purge

Day? What happened? Where did April go?

The purge could take much longer than expected lol. It has really been an eye opener as to how much stuff I have. I’m still only on the second room of the house. The guest bedroom. It’s got a futon and closet full of stuff. Lots of empty boxes. Boxes for things that I’ve purchased and for whatever reason kept the box that it came in. Why? I guess if it breaks I can return it within the warranty period? Maybe keep the box to sell it later? Regardless of those reasons I have a bunch of boxes that will be going to the dump. They are way older than thirty days. Months or could be years probably lol.

The other thing I’m working on in that room? Photos. Old photo albums of trips taken with a bunch of landscape pictures along with some with people pics in them. I decided to take out all the people pictures and toss the rest. I will still need to go through all the people photos and sort them out but it consolidated them to one small box. It would be awesome to convert them to digital someday. I have to say, I really like the pictures that have the date stamped on them. It’s not like the digital photos that you can tell when it was taken. I also have a thing about people pictures. I can’t throw them out. That’s why they are in that box lol. Even if they are out of focus, ripped or of people I don’t know. That also goes for digital pics too but at least now the cloud will tell me I’m running out of space. It makes me go in and delete a few. End goal would be one or two albums with dates on the pictures and maybe where they were taken.

I took another load to Salvation Army. They will probably know me by name soon lol.

For my next thirtydays I will continue on with the purge and add in a green drink every morning. For those of you who are wondering, my green drinks are not fancy. I buy the bag of Power Greens at Costco and throw it into the freezer. It has organic baby chard, baby spinach and baby kale. It’s really the only way I’m going to get any green nutrition lol. Once they are frozen I smash them to bits. They are much easier to add to the blender that way. I add some flax seeds and chia seeds into orange juice or coconut water and blend them up. I could probably add something else but I’ve been doing it before I go to work and unless I start getting up when the alarm goes off there’s not much time for creativity 😂 that could be the next thirtydays thing. No snooze lol. That would be brutal.

Thirtydays

The Purge.

Day fifteen already! I have gotten rid of six bags of clothing and miscellaneous. All taken to Salvation Army. Drop off with them is super simple. I pull up, put the bags in a shopping cart and they take them away. Almost magic. Not so easy at Goodwill. They make you sort you stuff into bins. So that means tearing open the bags and sorting it out. Any small stuff at the bottom gets dumped in and potentially lost.

I have only tackled one room and my closet. While looking through all the stuff I have accumulated I come to realize that its’ worth is not in the price that I paid for it but the space it’s actually taking up. Realistically I could sell it on eBay or Mercari but I would actually have to do it. There is a ton of stuff that I could sell but I need to be honest with myself. Would I or will I store it for another 20 years and make my kids deal with it lol.

That’s one of my nightmares. Dying unexpectedly and leaving a giant house full of stuff. I don’t worry about dying. Just the stuff I leave behind.

Well, let’s move on from that morbid piece of information.

This thirtydays may take a couple of months lol.