Zero Waste, errrrr, um, Low Waste, errrr Oh Heck!

A few weeks ago I was going through the stories on Yahoo after I logged out from checking my email, and found a video on a family who lives a Zero Waste Lifestyle. I was immediately attracted to it, but thought that I couldn't do that! This family lives a minimalistic lifestype in addition to being zero waste, and their house is all sleekly designed and uber sexy! Check out her blog:

http://www.zerowastehome.blogspot.com/

The more I read her blog, the more I realized that I could do this. Or at least I could try to use some of her suggestions to reduce the amount of waste that we produce even if I don't end up going "Zero Waste". Then I look around my house and am brought back to reality. I'm almost to the border of hoarderville (Also known as overtired, overworked, and overwhelmed mom-ville) I have so much stuff. My mom used to say that I just needed to organize the stuff better because I don't have closets! Well, I need to get rid of a lot of stuff first, and yes, then organize. And get rid of the dang pet smells! Oy!

So, fast forward to today. It's a work day, and it happens to be pouring out! My sweatshirt is in my car so I have to walk from the building to my car and get cold and wet at the start of my lunch break. My car is out of gas, so I went to the gas pumps and have to wait for some older lady who's not pumping but is sitting there and doing who knows what. Finally get to the pump, and swipe, Grrrr. Swipe, grrrr. Oh dangit! My card doesn't want to work. I remembered the magnet thing I had in my purse a few days ago and hoped my card isn't demagnetized. I get back in my car and go up to the store and decide that I am going to be picking up a couple of things, and I can just get cash back and then use cash at the pumps.

So, I decide I need cans of dog and catfood to medicate my pets later (sneakily disguised in the canned food), a lean cuisine meal for lunch, and then grabbed a bag of catfood. I'm dropping the cans, and suddenly I have catfood going down in my cleavage. D'OH! I realize that there's a cut in the side of the bag, but only after there's catfood, cans, and lean cuisine dropping everywhere! I grabbed a bag I thought was fine, and headed for the register. When I got there, I found a small cut in the bottom which the cashier fixed with a paid sticker. So I was distracted and frazzled. Then I realize that she had bagged in plastic cause I hadn't given her the cloth bag I had brought. I felt awful that I failed in my attempts to reduce waste - canned goods, lots of packaging, and a plastic bag!

Then ended up tramping around the parking lot trying to remember where I parked. Geesh! Let me say it again, it was RAINING! I was quite WET! I keep telling myself that I shouldn't be so discouraged. It takes time and effort to change your lifestyle! Noone can do it over night and expect it to be easy! *sigh* But at least I have me some diet pepsi!