My First Three Days Going Green!

I have received some very supportive responses from people about my New Year resolution and my first ‘change of habit’ assignment. You may be wondering how it is going. My first three days are filled with endless conscious thoughts about my decision to ‘Go Green’ with any household purchases. My husband and I had our first serious ‘car discussion’ on the way back from my 6 year old son’s hockey game. He was on his way to a local bulk convenience store while I was taking the kids to piano lessons. There are a few things that my husband will not give up, like his bulk hard cheese. And then there are a few things that physically my oldest son cannot give up at this time (pull ups) for medical reasons (written in ‘Ethan’s Blog’). We get these few things at this store because it is truly a convenience for us, for now. Anyway, my husband and I were reviewing the few items on the list. In addition to the previously mentioned items Andy wanted to buy ‘good’ coffee. “What do you mean?” I queried. “What qualifies as ‘good’ coffee?” I further pursued. I have to admit I was a bit perturbed by his announcement of wanting to buy ‘good’ coffee. I knew that it meant he was judging what was good by taste only. I still had to ask in order to give him the benefit of the doubt. Of course, I didn’t like his answer, “I want coffee that tastes good not the stuff you have been buying.” He further clarified that he liked the ‘Michigan’ coffee and that he wanted to look for more at the store. I immediately put on my defenses like a warrior preparing for battle with her best protective armor. I knew what this meant. We had gone down this road many times before. Like the peanut butter he can’t stand because it doesn’t taste or look like Jiff, or the chips that have not been genetically altered, filled with preservatives, or dowsed in hydrogenated oils that he complains about when they don’t satisfy his taste buds. I remember one moment in our many years together when he was trying to make his own chocolate peanut butter ice cream out of the good natured products we had at home. One thing after another ticked him off. The bland brand of ice cream I was buying was the first thing. “Why don’t you buy normal ice cream that I like and not only the kind you like?” He announced in a bit of irritation. Then when he opened a brand new jar of natural peanut butter I thought he was going to have a coronary on the spot, not from what he was eating but from what he saw floating on the top of the peanut butter jar. As many people know, when you open a new jar of natural peanut butter you have to stir in the oils that have separated and gathered at the top of the jar then you stick it in the refrigerator and your peanut butter is good to go for the rest of its use. His first view of that oily mess sent him over the edge with tongue threatening talk which sent me over the edge as well. Somehow, he managed to make his own version of peanut butter ice cream and sit down to enjoy his treasure. I, on the other hand, was still ticked. Andy only had to make a couple more comments which I resented and then I unconsciously lost control. In my stance of rage I marched over to him grabbed his bowl of ice cream took it over to the kitchen sink and threw it down the drain. Then I marched upstairs, locked the bedroom door, and sat in fury trying to calm my Godzilla instincts. So, putting on my suite of armor was second nature for me as we began our calm conversation over coffee and what defines ‘good’ coffee.

What I learned from Andy is that ‘good’ coffee is defined by taste and then where it comes from is secondary to his primary needs. This time our conversation stayed civil, as it should in a car full of three youngsters that can hear everything going on in the front seat. We had done this so many times in the past that it was time to start acting like adults. Andy did have a good point. He wanted to buy that ‘Michigan’ coffee because it comes from Michigan, it tastes good, and it supports our economy. I thought that it was a conscious thought that deserved to be considered. I further explained that I had no idea how their coffee was processed and I was not sure of where it came from, until I found these things out I could not think of buying the coffee when we do have options to try other brands that I know are fair trade and organic. I recognized his conscious thought to buy a local Michigan product and was delighted he was beginning to think in this way. Andy never liked the other brands I have tried in the past because they didn’t taste good. I further explained that it is a learning process we are going through as we transition over and that we are going to have to be patient with each other. They are good tasting coffees we just have to figure out the right strength to make them in order to satisfy our taste buds. As we calmly discussed he eventually agreed to hold off buying his coffee and trust that we could figure all this out and satisfy both our needs. I let go of the processed bulk cheese buying and even suggested that he search for ‘his’ peanut butter product even though I had just bought a new brand to try. Our first discussion and our first dilemma had emerged as a work in progress that we would figure out as life went along. This was promising, especially when coffee is a hot commodity at our house. Religiously, I prep the coffee every night for the next morning. Every day, I start with a hearty cup while Andy fills his 2 stainless steel mugs and carries them to work. If there is any coffee left over after that I may have a ½ cup in the early afternoon. So, it is very important to us to have a great tasting cup of java. Currently, my quest to get that rich cup of coffee that meets all of our needs is still in progress and I will let you know when the dilemma is solved.

As for grocery shopping, I did have to make my first ‘big’ trip to the grocery store. Except, I am no longer buying at one store but at least 3! Ironically, I decided that we had to go to the store on New Year’s Eve day. Our family just could not wait any longer for fresh food. This initial trip is truly what inspired my commitment to give up my past life and leap to the other side. Being that school is on break until January 4th I had no choice but to take all three kids with me. It was either going to be a successful story of teaching and consuming tasty organics for me and my three kids (8, 6, and 3 years) or it was going to be a disastrous lesson in motherhood. In my mind, I pictured all of us making our trips in and out of the stores on my list happily finding all the foods at the right prices in the organic form I had intended. But I have also seen those stressed out moms trying to accomplish endless shopping tasks with the kids being so ornery that it would make any single female seriously consider birth control. I did not want to be one of ‘those’ moms. So, I planned ahead. Fortunately, I had been to many of these stores several times and was pretty familiar with the layout of each store. My plan was to buy only what was needed (on the list). Always a lofty task when you have three kids with you that always ‘see’ something that we have to have, even in a food store. But, if I could stick to ‘my plan’ with three kids at my hip then I could definitely implement this into my lifestyle change. Hey, I could do anything.

The day went very well. At our first store, Whole Foods Market, the kids and I picked out several organic vegetables that we would need for our dinners the next few evenings and for snacks during the day. The store had many tasting stations of the fresh vegetables which made a great time for all of us. We practiced using the tongs to pick up just one item to try and not three or four. My kids needed to understand the concept of tasting and not feasting. This is such a great way for children to try new items and then take a couple home if you find they like them. Next, we found some meats that were needed for a bit of a higher price than I was used to paying for the less organic versions but this was to be expected. I don’t mind spending more money when I know that “we are what we eat.” I learned about several brands of sulfite free wine and picked up a bottle to try. The kids and I really had a nice time in this first store, exploring and learning. We found the people to be very helpful, especially with three kids next to me. We even took some time to stop at the café on the way out and have a tasty snack before trekking on to our next store. The kids had vegan chocolate chip cookies and I had a scone made out of soy flour and turbinado sugar. Yum! We enjoyed every bite and I actually felt good about my kids eating a chocolate chip cookie!

It was on to our next store; we were off to Trader Joe’s. I love this store. I can really get some great deals on items that meet up to my stringent specifications. Again, we stuck to our list. Trader Joe’s had a few items we could taste, which made it interesting for the kids and they could even ‘search’ for the ‘lamb’. I don’t know if your local Trader Joe’s does this or not but if the kids find the hidden stuffed animal lamb in the store they get a prize (usually an organic fruit leather) and then they get to hide the lamb somewhere in the store for the next child searching. This is a great idea. We made it in and out of the store successfully with only the items on my list, some happy kids, and one happy mom.

Lastly, we were on our way to our last stop, the local grocery store…Kroger’s in our area. This is a regular supermarket that does devote a couple of areas to organics. The list that I had for this store was the smallest so I felt confident that we could get in and out pretty quickly even though my kids were getting tired of shopping. What I also find at these stores is that they put organics on pretty heavily discounted prices after awhile because they do not have as many shoppers like me come through their store. Sometimes I can find severely discounted items. I always check, and stock up when this happens. Today, there were few items to be on sale so I did just stick to my list and we were in and out. Overall, I know all three Kroger’s within a 15 mile radius of my home pretty well and I know which stores severely discounts organics often and which do not. So, it makes shopping pretty effortless.

On my way out of the store, we ran into a friend who had a car load of plastic grocery bags and Kroger store food. I glanced at the back of my car and saw reusable bags filled with fresh food that came from responsible green sources. I was proud. I felt like a mother holding her new born baby and ready to show off her sprout to the world. I felt great about all my choices of the day. What I also noticed when I returned home to empty my bags was that my refrigerator was stocked and I needed less room in my pantry than in the past. Actually, I had been noticing this more and more the past year. When you do not buy processed foods most of your groceries need to be stored in the refrigerator in order to keep longer. These days my pantry mostly holds dried beans, rice, pasta, fruit leathers, and unopened jars and containers of items that must be refrigerated after opening them. And finally, when I looked at my grocery bill, I found that I had spent almost as much money at the other two stores then at the place where I had purchased the least amount of items, Kroger’s. Was it the particular items I was looking for that were more expensive or was it that I had been fooled in thinking all along that it was much more expensive to buy ‘green’? Certainly, I knew that buying ‘green’ is usually higher priced but you go in knowing that you get what you pay for. But when I looked at my bills, I really felt that I had received exactly what I needed and expected from all three stores when deciding to be green.

All in all, the past three days has been an adventure in consciousness. I am proud to have a refrigerator and closet full of ‘good’ food and I look forward to more discoveries in the future. I know it is coming. I know there are many opportunities to come that will provide me with moments to make choices to live consciously. I will still be seeking out the perfect coffee and other products to satisfy my family’s needs. I am proud to note that my husband came home from the bulk convenience store without his peanut butter brand and willing to give my new natural peanut butter brands another try. I am so proud. Finally I have also found a great new website filled with articles and suggestions that help out a ‘Green’ Mom of Light. Hip Moms Go Green is a new site that can be found at www.hipmomsgogreen.com. It is a place filled with practical, inventive, and fun ideas for living the life of a green mom. If you’re interested, check it out. It is worth a look.

Lastly, the adventure continues. Check back for more!