- Complete the Master Conservationist program through Iowa State University & Polk County Conservation (already signed up! Runs April-May--woot! Because having degrees from Drake and University of Iowa aren't enough, I need to add something from ISU, too. Heh heh heh)
- I'd like to say that we'll complete a will this year, finally. But the intention is always there and the answers aren't clear. So it gets put off. Even so, I'll vocalize the intent. Again.
- Keep gardening, keep reading, keep working on balancing technology & unplugged time.
- Finally get our new discipline/incentive "ticket" program up and running for the kids.
- Maybe tackle one--just one-- of the long-term projects that don't get much attention. Such as:
- organize all my iPhoto pictures that are in one giant lump of chaos on this computer (sigh)
- scan in my old physical photos that got saved from photo album pillaging
- begin to create blog-to-books from this blog as a way of keeping this journal in hard copy for years to come
- Get back into running for physical exercise, even if not for racing. Because I have not been a runner since October 20th, when I ran 13.1 miles. No joke. Not even once. (See how I did okay with marathon goal/deadline, and then dropped it like a hot potato the second it was over?! {New Mantra: see this as a strength, see this as a strength, see this as a strength....})
- Work on being more affectionate with Jack. For whatever reason, I'm much harder on him than I am on the younger two. I get frustrated faster, and show less affection on a daily basis. I don't want him to feel like he has to work to earn it. I need to figure out why I have a shorter string with him, and really try to face that and get through it.
I've been throwing around the idea of working toward a globally-minded resolution. The first thing that came to mind was a commitment to omit any goods made in China from our household purchases this coming year. It seems like it could be a *very* difficult endeavor, which is why I'm shying away. But it keeps resurfacing. No more inexpensive clothing from Target. No more purchases from Norwex! And it would bring about a host of slippery slope questions:
- If a shirt is made in Cambodia or Thailand, is that better? Do I purchase it?
- Do we gently urge grandparents to observe this "rule" and refrain from buying the kids toys/gifts that were made in China? or is that a little too rigid (probably...)?
- Is it possible to tell the difference between something made in China in a U.S.-owned, cheap labor factory or something that is legitimately made in China in a responsible way?
- This will require total due diligence, and also tons of research. And probably eye-opening discoveries. I wonder if it's even possible to know where all the ingredients of a certain item are coming from. So then how picky do we get here?
An alternative I considered is trying to avoid all things made of plastic. Toys, household goods, even choosing bar soap over shower gel containers. This might be a tough one to stick to 100%, too. I already avoid using plastic bags at the grocery store, and try to choose wooden toys over plastic ones, or glass Pyrex containers over Tupperware-types. But 100% non-plastic would be a BIG shift, and a tricky one to stick with when we have kids who break things. A lot.
I'm sure there are lots of bloggers out there who have taken on both of these challenges and I could probably do a search and find lots of answers right away. I'm not really a blog reader (ironic, since I keep my own), and I'd like to do much of this on my own for the point of the learning process. But I may have to do some digging and come to a decision.
No comments:
Post a Comment