MamAnomolie

Often times it is the wildlife that is all around us that we know the least about. Take a look into the amazing life of the plastic bag. Join these bags in their journey from asphalt jungle to Pacific Ocean. A warning to the squeamish - there is one scene in which one plastic bag meets a grizzly end at the hands of one of its natural predators, a park maintenance staff member. Your heart will soar, however, as you watch a bag join its brethren in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, uniting with friends and family members.

There are some blogs that I follow simply to be inspired. Clean is one of those blogs. How can you not be inspired by what is described by the author as "your (crafty, organic, bubble-filled) happy place?" Clean is the blog from LuSa Organics, makers of baby, mama and body care products in Viroqua, Wisconsin and is written by Rachel Wolf.

Be forewarned - Rachel, like Beth Terry over at Fake Plastic Fish which I mentioned in my last post - lives a green lifestyle to the nth degree. Maybe everyone else out there is not like me and doesn't start comparing themselves and their efforts to other people, but just in case you are like me, don't compare yourself to Rachel. It will only leave you feeling uncrafty, bubbleless and sad. Instead, learn to do what I have done, and use her amazing work for your own inspiration.

Clean follows Rachel and her family on their everyday adventures. Now, "everyday adventures" could really mean anything, but these people really have adventures every day. Rachel shares her lessons as she homeschools her two children, invites us into her kitchen as she cooks, provides countless ideas and tutorials for sewing, knitting and other crafty projects, lets us tag along as she explores nature as well as her small town community. She has a way of describing her days that allow you to feel the connectedness and presentness that she fosters in her life. To be honest, the photographs that she takes and uses in her blog are reason enough to visit!

As I settle into motherhood, I am learning not to compare myself to others so much, to focus on the present and to enjoy the inspiration and joy that is all around. The Clean blog is definitely an inspirational source. I even dreamed the other night that we went to visit Viroqua and really tag along on a few adventures. In my dream we rescued baby owls, had to climb into Rachel's home through tree roots and, once inside, I was so impressed by her kitchen which had craft activities ready to go hanging on the pegboard walls. All of these things were creations of my own subconscious imagination, but Clean is full of stories and adventures with just as much whimsy, passion and charm. Check it out here!

Well, I have learned my lesson - never do my blog in installments. I end up partway through and decide that I'd rather blog about something else. And does sharing consumer guidelines that I made up make me sound preachy? I hope not. And while I ponder all of this I miss my window of opportunity while my daughter is asleep to post anything at all. So, today, you'll get not-meant-to-be-preachy guidelines #3-5 all in one wallop!

#3 - Look at the Big Picture
This is actually the guideline I was thinking of when I started writing this blog in response to the story about people who chose to not serve their kids fruits and vegetables if organic options were not available. While I think most people would agree that conventionally grown produce is better than no produce at all, many times the benefits of looking at the big picture are not so obvious. We humans tend to focus on one thing, one topic, one piece of information - it's easier that way. The truth is, though, that this is not the way the world works. You may be very passionate about organic produce, which is great, but if the only option for a certain organic fruit is to get it from halfway around the world, a non-organic local option might be better. It's easier to choose between organic vs. conventional, but chances are you can make a better decision if you take a step back and take a look at all of the options.

#4 - Don't Get Overwhelmed!
This might be the most difficult guideline to follow. It often is for me. On several occasions I have been scanning product after product in the store aisle, whether it be for BPA-free teethers or paraben-free lotion, and I'm ready to throw up my hands and give up. There are so many ingredients of concern and issues surrounding products that it's easy to get overwhelmed. And there are amazing people out there who seem to be able to do it all. Have you checked out Fake Plastic Fish before? That woman manages to live with so little plastic it's unreal! I applaud people who are taking on such challenges, but most of us won't get very far if we try and compare our efforts to what some of these folks are doing. I urge people and myself to be informed, make connections, look at the big picture...and then make the choices that are right for you that you can do right now. A friend of mine sent me a quote that I love - "don't let the perfect get in the way of the good." I'm not sure who it should be attributed to - let me know if you know the source - but I think it totally applies here. Do what you can - something is better than nothing!

#5 - Know That You Can Make a Difference
While you are standing in the cosmetics aisle at your local Target, searching for paraben-free lotion, wondering whether you should even be shopping at Target anymore and feeling a little crazy as loads of people have come and gotten what they needed and are already at the register but you're now inspecting bottle #18, it's easy to feel like your efforts may not matter at all. Why even bother - you're only one person after all. It's important to know that you can make a difference. Look at BPA, for example. Nalgene didn't get rid of the BPA in their water bottles because the government told them they had to. They did it because enough consumers were voicing their concern over it and searching for other options that it was in Nalgene's best interest. Individual consumers, who probably felt small and as though they were not making a difference, but who together got things changed. Hooray! Keep that in mind when you feel like all of your effort might not be worth it.

So, there are the rest of the five consumer guidelines. I hope they didn't sound preachy, and I hope they can be useful to you. If you have any ideas or guidelines that you use to consumer more thoughtfully I would love to hear them!