Reduce Your Use Challenge

Earth Day is about two weeks away.  In the last few months, I have been working on reducing my use of plastic.  I wish I can say that I have reduced my use by a considerable amount.  I have been phasing out the plastic food containers in my home.  I have been using glass containers, mason jars, and metal containers.  We do use reusable water bottles instead of purchasing water bottles.  Unfortunately, I am still guilty of using plastic sandwich bags, not bringing my reusable shopping bags when I go shopping, and not bringing my many reusable travel mugs when I buy coffee.

We can turn a blind eye to this plastic problem, or we can face some of the facts (1):
     - at least 8 million tons of plastic enter the oceans yearly,
     - there is more mincroplastic in the ocean than there are stars in the Milky Way,
     - more than 60% of marine litter is plastic based,
     - the average U.S. citizen consumes 167 plastic water bottles each year, and only recycle 25% of
     them.

It doesn’t stop there.  Most of our clothing are made with synthetic fibers which are made with plastic. And these fibers go into the ocean when we wash our clothes.

Plastic doesn't just impact our environment.  Plastic is also toxic to our health.  There have been links to plastic and many health issues such as cancer, birth defects, encodrine disruption, and so much more.  These fibers that go into the ocean are eaten by the fish which we consume.  Plastic has contaminated not just the oceans but has crept into other food sources. I urge you not to take my word for it and do your research.

Plastic is so convenient, but I think it is time that we think about whether or not the environmental and health effects are worth the convenience.  We are called to be good stewards- of the world around us as well as our own health.  When God created the earth, it was good.  Yes, we live in a fallen and broken world and we cannot completely be free from the use of plastic but each of us can do our part and be responsible for the "Earth itself, and every animal that moves on the face of the Earth," (Genesis 1:26, MSG).


In the next two weeks, I am working on reducing my use of plastic even more by using reusable sandwich/ storage bags, my reusable shopping bags, and using my reusable travel mugs when I get coffee outside of my home.

Here are some ways I will be reducing my use of plastic.  A HUGE shout out to my friend, Christa, for her recommendations (the straws, bamboo toothbrushes, water bottle).

1- Reusable coffee mug.  Even paper cups are lined with plastic.  Stay away from plastic tumblers and instead go for glass or stainless steel tumblers (not aluminum).  This is my favorite travel mug which was given to me by my Secret Santa this year.

2- Reusable water bottle.  I love my 32 ounce Klean Kanteen, 24 ounce MyBevi water bottle, and my 17 ounce S'well yoga bottle.  These are all insulated stainless steel bottles and keep my water cold all day long.  Although I have links to these for Amazon, I suggest that you check out the clearance section at Target.  I paid about $7 for my MyBevi.  I also paid under $5 for son's MyBevi.    S'well bottles are pretty pricey.  I found mine at Target's clearance section for under $10.

Christa loves her Life Factory water bottles.  I had one of them but lost it somewhere.  My boys can't bring glass to school and this is why I opted for the stainless steel bottles.

3- Store food in glass or stainless steel containers and mason jars.  You can get these from Amazon, Target, Walmart. I love these because they are sturdier than their plastic counterparts.  I purchased these stainless steel containers for my boys' lunch.

4- Reusable shopping bags.  Almost all retailers sell shopping bags.  These bags usually cost no more than $1.99 depending on the retailer.  You can also purchase insulated shopping bags, which are even better for cold or frozen food.  At one point in my life, I was a shopping bag hoarder.  I loved buying them whenever I go to a store I haven't been in. I haven't purchased a bag in awhile but I have over a dozen of them.

ImageCredit: Amazon.com

5- Reusable covers by Beeswrap.  You can purchase a pack with one small, one medium, and one large wrap.  You can use them to wrap food and even to cover containers.  They last a little over a year and can stick to most containers.

6- Packing regular utensils instead of plastic utensils for my lunch and the kids' lunches.  I love these cute utensils with chopsticks since I sometimes make makis (Japanese rolls) for my boys' lunch.

7- Reusable stainless steel straws. I have not used these yet but this is one of the items that I plan on purchasing these when we do eat out.

8- Bamboo toothbrushes. Plastic is used for EVERYTHING.  Replacing your plastic toothbrush with a bamboo one is one less plastic that ends up in the ocean.

There are SO MANY WAYS we can reduce our use of plastic.  It can be overwhelming to go cold-turkey with your plastic usage.  That's why I urge you to pick two or three items that you can replace with non-plastic alternatives.  Let's be good stewards of God's creation.  Which of these are you committing to use?

<3,
Marie


1- McCarthy, J. (2017, June 12). 9 Shocking Facts About Plastic in Our Oceans.  https://www.ecowatch.com/plastic-oceans-facts-images-2436857254.html

Healthy and Easy One-Dish Meals

Spring is here! It doesn't feel like it here in the Northeast.  Some areas still have snow on the ground.  In fact, as I write this, snow is falling gently outside.  I cannot wait for the warmer weather to finally be here so that we can start enjoying the longer days.  With the change of the season, I like to change up my weeknight recipes.  And of course, because I want to enjoy the longer days and warmer weather (whenever the warm weather gets here), I like simple one-dish meals.

When I tried scouring the web for healthy, one-dish recipes, I often encounter carb-heavy dishes with pasta or rice or dishes with cheese or dairy.  For me, healthy means a meal that is heavy on the vegetables, with lean or grass-fed protein, some good fats (low fat isn't always a good thing) and healthy carbs.  White pasta or rice is a no-no.  I also stay away from cheesy recipes or dishes with dairy because my teenage son cannot have dairy.  It frustrates me when I look for healthy recipes and get these recipes carb heavy, low veggie meals.  That's why I decided to do another recipe round up.  This time, it is healthy one-dish meals.

photo credit: peaceloveandlowcarb.com

Chicken Sausage and Vegetable Skillet

Sometimes, I use this chicken sausage or I use our own homemade pork sausage.

Photo credit: Paleo Bailey

Sheet Pan Chicken Stir Fry

You can serve this as-is or with brown rice or cauliflower rice.

Photo credit: Real Food RDs

One pan Salmon and Veggie Bake

Photo Credit: Paleo Bailey

Pot Roast and Veggies

AANNNDDD, what's dinner without dessert?  My latest love is this Hazelnut Frozen Yogurt from my favorite dessert blogger.

Photo Credit: Chocolate Covered Katie

Do you have your favorite one-dish meal?  I'd like to know what it is even if you don't think it's healthy.  I might include its healthier version in a future blog post.

<3,

Marie

Just a Housewife

 This weekend was my son's high school drama club production of the musical, Working.  It is an older and lesser known musical, but it is a touching one.  It is a musical about the
"uncommon common man."  The characters included a steel worker, parking garage attendant, migrant worker, waitress, sociailite, housewife, and many more.  Every monologue and song was touching and I'm sure strikes a chord with everyone.  One song that struck a chord with me was "Just a Housewife:"

All I am is just a housewife

Nothing special, nothing great

What I do is kinda boring

If you'd rather, it can wait

All I am is someone's mother

All I am is someone's wife

All of which seems unimportant

All it is is

Just my life

Do the laundry, wash the dishes

Take the dog out, clean the house

Shop for groceries, look for specials

God it sounds so, Mickey Mouse

Drop the kids off, pick the shirts up

Try to lose weight, try again

Keep the troops fed, pick their things up

Lose your patience, count to ten

...

All I am is just a housewife

Just a housewife, nothing great

What I do is "out of fashion"

What I feel is out of date

All I am is someone's mother

Right away I'm not too bright

What I do is unfulfulling

So the T.V. talk-shows tell me every night

I don't mean to complain at all

But they make you feel like you're two feet tall

When you're just a wife

Nowadays all the magazines

Make a bunch of beans

Out of family life

You're a "whiz" if you go to work

But you're just a jerk if you say you won't

Women's Lib says they think it's fine

If the choice is mine

But you know they don't

What I do, what I choose to do

May be dumb to you

But it's not to me

Is it dumb that they need me there?

Is it dumb to care?

Cause I do, you see

And I mean, Did ya ever think,

Really stop and think

What a job it was-

Doing all the things

That a housewife does?...

Do you feel this way?  Although your family may not always show their appreciation, they do. What you do matters even if you can't see it now.  I know it sounds so cliche, but this is what I tell myself as I clean up my kitchen at night knowing full well it will be a mess again in the morning.  Or as I spend the day driving my teenage son to drama, drive to the store with my tween to get a present for his friend's birthday party, drive to tween's friend's birthday party almost an hour away, then go home to do laundry that grows like spaghetti.

Maybe you aren't a housewife.  Maybe you are a broke college student.  Maybe you are working in a job that wasn't your first or second or third choice.  Maybe you are a mama juggling two or three jobs. I want you to know that regardless of what you do, YOU matter.  You are not "just" a housewife.  You are not "just" a mom.  

You are not "just" a housewife.  Not "just" (fill in the blank here).  I struggled for so long with the label of being "just" a housewife... "just" a child care worker... "just" a mom... "just" a greeter... "just" a substitute aide.

What helps me remember that I am not "just" whatever role I have is remembering who I am in Christ:

"God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them;

male and female he created them,"

(Genesis 1:27).

"Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, 

before you were born I set you apart;

I appointed you as a prophet to the nations,"

(Jeremiah 1:5).

"Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, 

he gave the right to become children of God,"

(John 1:12).

"But you are a chose people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation,

God's special possession, that you may declare the praises of him

who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light,"

(1 Peter 2:9).

These are just a few truths that have helped me.  I also remember that no matter what I do- at home or in a work setting- I don't just do it for my family or for my employer:

"Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart,

as working for the Lord, not man,"

(Colossians 3:23).

In the past, I struggled with being "just" me.   But I have come to learn that I am much more than what I do.  I am not "just" a mom, "just" a college student, "just" a greeter.   I am a child of God. And that is what keeps me going.

How can you overcome the label of being "just" a (fill in the blank)?

MUST BE NICE

“At some point in the core of every woman’s soul, an ache begins to form.  It starts with a glance or a glare, a conversation or a comment.  It digs deep into the wonder of our worth.  But it ultimately takes the shape of the question:

WHY HER?”*

In her new book, WhyHer? 6 Truths We need to Hear When Measuring Up Leaves Us Falling Behind, Nicki bears her own struggles and encourages the reader to be brutally honest and wrestle with the comparison trap.  Here’s an excerpt from her book:

“I spent the first few years of my childhood in the small town of Coolidge, Arizona, about halfway between Phoenix and Tucson. My family was by no means well-off. We always seemed to have just enough to get by. Rarely was there room in our budget for extras, like the pair of black-and-white saddle shoes I desperately wanted. Do you remember those? They were calling my name in 1985.

My dad was the high school football coach, so I spent a lot of Friday nights with my mom and brother in the bleachers. The game itself was anything but thrilling to me, but I didn’t mind going because it meant I’d be able to watch the cheerleaders. That was exciting.

I dreamed of the day when I, too, might hopefully be out there in a pleated skirt with pom-poms, making the crowd roar with enthusiasm for our team. The cheerleaders must have known how much I looked up to them because in the middle of one football season, they invited my best friend and me to come cheer with them at an upcoming game.

Our elementary schoolgirl excitement was out of control. High school cheerleaders?! YES! We practiced in the backyard every chance we could get leading up to the game. One afternoon, we even put on our homemade uniforms. But my zeal for this opportunity quickly faded that day as I looked down at my friend’s feet. She was wearing a pair of brand new, shiny, black-and-white saddle shoes. The same kind the high school cheerleaders wore. My thoughts screamed silently with envy: What? Where did she get those? I need a pair too!

I went to my mom later that night and pleaded for saddle shoes, knowing full well our bank account didn’t match my begging. No matter what I said, it didn’t matter. We didn’t have the money. Must be nice, though, being a girl in a family who did. But this event in my life, especially as I look back on it, helped me discover something about comparison that stuck with me. Honesty teaches us to stop fearing what we don’t have so we can see what we do.

Honesty teaches us to stop fearing what we don’t have so we can see what we do.

Right before that big football game, my mom actually did find a pair of black-and-white saddle shoes I could borrow from someone else. No, they weren’t shiny and new like my friend’s were. In fact, they were pretty scuffed up and a little tight on my feet. But even though they were obviously not as nice——I was thrilled with them. I took pride in them. I loved them.

I mean, sure, every time I looked at my BFF in her saddle shoes, I felt a little stab of jealousy and discontent. But there were no new saddle shoes coming to me. I knew that. And by accepting the shoes I had, I was able to get honest with myself about it. To be okay with it. I decided I didn’t want my envy to ruin the excitement of this opportunity.

Honesty about the source of our comparison issues can lead us toward being hopeful again. Admitting the situations we face each day that try to make us feel less-than is an important first step—recognizing them as soon as possible, calling them out before they take root and spiral into a lifestyle. Being honest enough to call out comparison the moment it happens will help us regain our control of it. Maybe you don’t desire to be the number-one person in your company.

Maybe you don’t care if your house looks anything like a Pinterest picture. Maybe things like college educations don’t really faze you. But something does. Some sour reality that makes you feel like you’re not measuring up. And until you get honest about it, you won’t be able to conquer it…

For you, it’s yours. For me, it’s mine. And when I think about these struggles in my own life, and what it means to be honest about them, God often takes me back to this verse: “Each one should test their own actions. Then they can take pride in themselves alone, without comparing themselves to somebody else,” (Galatians 6:4, NIV).

Comparison can sneak into my heart no matter how strong my level of gratefulness and awareness. But by taking the time to recognize and thank God for the blessings He puts into my life each day—by taking a good, holy, healthy kind of pride in my current situation—I’m much more able to stay honest and content with who I am and who I’m not.  Staring too long at the success of someone else can make us miss our own satisfaction with life.  And there’s simply too much that’s beautiful about you and me to lose it all on her.”*

Let’s be honest for a minute here: are there any areas in your life where you find yourself slipping into the “must be nice” syndrome? 

Why Her? Really forced me to look at these areas and more.  Nicki walks the reader through the six important truths which, for me, gave me the freedom to come face to face with my “must be nice” and “why her” questions.  You can grab a copy of Why Her? from Amazon, Lifeway, or your favorite book retailer.  You can also sign up for the FREE online bible study for this book with Proverbs 31 Online Bible Studies.

*Excerpted with permission from Why Her? by Nicki Koziarz. Copyright 2018, B&H Publishing Group.

Nicki Koziarz is a wife and mom to three girls plus a handful of barnyard babies.  They live just outside of Charlotte, North Carolina.  She is an inspirational author, Bible teacher, and speaker with Proverbs 31 Ministries.  Nicki leads from her own brokenness that somehow God is making meaningful.  You can connect with Nicki in her website, Facebook, or Instagram.