Baby Carbon Steps Monthly Missions, Month 2 (April)

When I found out we where getting a baby the first thing we did was run off to the mall. 23 years ago when I started giving birth to “the Grown Ups” I was young and dirt poor. I had to work two jobs just to buy diapers. This time, I’m all grown up can basically afford to buy anything and everything little Pickles could need. My first thoughts where all the stuff cool new stuff they have out for babies and how we needed them ALL!

Then I got to thinking, “Why?” Why is it so important that Pickles has everything brand new? She’s not going to care if someone else already wore her onsie, so why should I?  Is it more important for the baby to have a $500 stroller from America or for us to send the money on a plane ticket for Beans to come see her baby sister?

February’s goal for us is to refrain from buying new baby stuff. We are working to beg, borrow or buy, used baby clothes and any baby items we might need.

We have some awesome friends who dug through their storage and found some great things like this Cherry wood Basset Crib from the states, tons of clothes, and a cool Graco stroller/ car seat.

The stroller and car seat where a little faded, but other wise in great shape,  so my DH Google, dug down to his Indian roots and pulled out his alter ego “the little seamstress” and totally remodeled both stroller and car seat in a great cherry fabric. It turned out so awesome and only cost us about $30 instead of the $500 I had planned on spending. (and Beans gets to see her baby sis!)

So far we have got everything second hand  or made it ourselves. The only thing that I am going to buy is some new glass baby bottles, and  maybe a binky or two.  That cutie, over priced baby dress will just have to stay on the rack. 

Baby Carbon Steps Monthly Missions

Sometimes I feel like I am fighting an up hill battle trying to be green in this plastic jungle.  There are so many things in our home here in Thailand that I want to change to improve our carbon foot print. Every year we try, but just get so frustrated and over whelmed that we give up on many things.  This year we agreed to try something new.After reading this article I decided that we needed a family mission statement.  I am a total 7 Habits person, and I feel that it is important to begin with the end in mind. So, family meeting time! It's not easy to sum up your life in a paragraph, but I recommended to keep it simple and don't try to over think it. Simply look at what you think is most important and what your family hopes to represent. In other words, when poeple look at you, what do you want them to see?

In order to really live this mission statement,we have decided to concentrate on changing one thing a month that we feel needs changing in our lives. It may be something to move towards lowering our carbon foot print, to a health change or maybe even a spiritual change. Heaven knows we got issues and 12 months ain't gonna change them all, but by taking them one baby step at a time, maybe we will really make important changes..  

I challenge you to join us in the baby steps to change our lives. Each moth choose one thing that you would like to change in your home or life style.  It might be using only reusable grocery bags, changing to chemical free cleaners, changing to cloth diapers or giving up meat.  You make the choices on what you feel are the most important  things that you what to change. Through out the month work on your goal and then blog about it, and send me a link to you blog. Or add your comments here.  I look forward to hearing what you would like to change and how you do it.

Although it is almost April, I am adding my journals for the past few months so you can see how we have fared.