one small change update!

I really think it is so great what Suzy has done by organizing this project, I sure am slacking on my posts though, the fact that it is the last day of the last month of the official project is motivating me to manage a little update here...

(random unrelated picture, just because, although actually, that is the corner of a bread bag I recently made, yay for no plastic!)

In a way I feel like I cheated, all of our vegan changes (non-vegan changes I should say) were happening anyway, but at least I was inspired to write about it too. (Rather than linking to my other posts I can just tell you, click on "vegan" in my side menu and you will find my small change posts there...) So many people have asked how it's going, how it tastes, how we feel... Well, it is all going well, though still moving a bit slowly sometimes, the girls love everything we eat, I feel super great about using these good simple foods as I prepare meals for my family each day, Jason has his heart completely into the changes, but is a little slower at adjusting to the taste of things. Because let me tell you, anyone who tries to say that Earth Balance is just the same as butter (we've heard it often) is absolutely totally wrong (in our opinion), at least if you haven't tasted butter in more than 15 years. It's not that he doesn't think things taste good, and it's not that he thinks the vegan substitutes taste better, it's just that it's such a strong, different taste, or it's a taste that give you weird childhood memory flashbacks, (happened when we tried real yogurt for the first time!), so we are adjusting, but enjoying it, feeling good about it. Eating a lot of good food in general, Jason brought home our first fresh greens of the season from the farm the other day! (Though as you may have heard, I won't be milking any goats this year, there was quite a bit of goat sadness this month, but the goats are now off to a new good home.)

I guess I did write about something other than our vegan choices, still food related, all about that awful packaging! We sure have been doing good on that! We have used our cloth bags and jars every single time we have been grocery shopping. There was only once or twice I got caught off guard, needing to buy bulk spices and not remembering to bring and empty jar or little bag to re-use. And we bought graham crackers. Cause Jason and I hadn't had them since we were younger, and the girls never had, and they were really yummy, but now we of course need to learn to make our own.

There was one other area of small change I hoped to work on, another popular one I think, laundry! I told myself I would get the laundry line hung by the first day of spring. Oh so bad, it was not, still is not, but in my defense it is hardly feeling like spring yet either! Soon, I promise, I'm trying!

I also have been wanting to make our own laundry soap for a long time now. I have explored some recipes but if any of you happen to have recommendations please do let me know.

I had other thoughts on laundry, mending, etc, but now must leave the computer and head towards the sewing machine... Goodnight!

(one more unrelated picture, I never showed you our April/Easter nature table, and since it is the last day of the month...)

p.s. I think there is one change that is biggest of all, that we have all contributed too, and that is raising our children to be more aware, considerate, caring, loving of the earth and it's inhabitants. We are making a difference today, and they will continue to make a difference in the future!