Tiny Choices Survey: Katie!
By Karina | February 11, 2011
Please welcome our Friday Survey Guest, Katie! Did you know that you too can be featured on a survey Friday? Take a look, answer some questions, and email them to us! The directions are below! (and don’t forget: check out Katie’s blog!)
Vital statistics (name, age, location, link to website/blog)?
Katie, 26, Northeast Ohio, http://ecochicinsuburbia.wordpress.com
How do you reside (apartment or house, roommates)?
I recently moved in to an apartment with my partner and cat. We recently purchased a very typical suburban house but had to move for my new job.
Are your housing decisions dictated by choice or necessity? Please explain.
Due to my recent job transition, we had to move in to an all-expenses paid apartment (jealous? LOL). We do still own a home but are fixing it up to sell or rent in the future. We are of course trying to make as many earth-friendly choices as possible!
However, I have truly enjoyed downsizing in to a smaller space. We are shedding possessions and I feel like I have a new skin. We are only keeping things that are worth moving for the 4th time in 2 years and being creative with our decorating.
How do you travel (transit, car, etc)? Are your travel decisions dictated by choice or necessity? Please explain.
I’m lucky enough to live very close to where I work so I walk to and from meetings all day long. Some of my co-workers who live equally close choose to drive (even though it takes the same amount of time) but I really push myself to walk even in the rain and snow. I also plan on biking to the grocery store, post office, etc when the weather clears up a bit.
However, I used to live 45 minutes from my old job and travel weekly to offices hours away in my Prius. Yes, I was eco-chic in my commute but it was very long and a gas-guzzler. I actually put 50,000 miles on my car in one year. I’m hoping to even this out now!!
Tell us about a Tiny Choice you’ve made in your life.
A very tiny choice has been switching to Tom’s of Maine toothpaste! My partner says it’s like brushing your teeth with granola but once you use it for a week or two, the other stuff tastes sickeningly sweet. My teeth are happy and whiter - and greener! I’m also saving up the tubes to mail back to Tom’s for recycling.
I also use Seventh Generation and Method cleaning products. I was able to save some money with coupons and sales which made it even better! I’m hoping to start making my own laundry soap and cleaning products but I’m still researching the best methods. My vinegar/water solution was a fail in my house. So for now I’m happy with my Thyme-scented cleaner :)
I also always have my reusable grocery bags with me. I put them in the closet with my coupons and by my coat so I see them as I am walking out the door to the store.
What is the one environmental dilemma you personally struggle the most with?
Pop! Or Soda…whichever you prefer. I love to drink ice-cold Diet Cherry Pepsi. I absolutely know that it contains all sorts of terrible chemicals and the plastic and aluminum is a huge waste but I try to justify it with the fact that I recycle.
What is one Tiny Choice you can make in that direction?
I received a Soda Stream as a holiday gift and it has been fantastic! The bottles are reused for years and then the CO2 containers are traded in when empty for a refill. The bubbles are just as stress-relieving for me as a pop and if I need some flavor, I do a twist of citrus. I still have the guilty pleasure of a pop every once in awhile but now it’s maybe once week instead of once a day.
What is the one environmental Tiny Choice you make that people question (in either a positive educational or a negative hassle way) you the most about?
My lusting for backyard chickens! I adore the idea of caring for and raising my food. I would love to know exactly where it came from and exactly what went in to it (chickens or veggies). Friends and family are usually intrigued but think I’m a little crazy. They also point out that it’s not cheaper to raise your own produce and eggs when prices can be so low. I try to say that it’s not the point but it’s always a struggle.
I also get unusual looks when I insist that “no, I do not need a bag for my 1-5 items to that I just purchased.” Cashiers get really annoyed sometimes…Why? They don’t have to carry it!
What is the one environmental Tiny Choice you would like every single person to adopt?
STOP buying bottled water!!! It makes my heart hurt when my partner brings home a bottled water (He is obviously not as green as I am!).
Do you feel like you make sacrifices for environmentalism? Please explain.
I do…but more in the eyes of others. I usually struggle with balancing my partner’s less than eco-chicness with my extreme value in our world and dedication to being more green. I take babysteps every day…and bigger steps backwards sometimes. But I do try everyday to be a little bit greener.
To be completely honest, I do struggle with consumerism. Sometimes, I wish that I could throw caution and money to the wind and just go out and go shopping with no guilty thought. I love fashion and clothes shopping and it’s something that I have dramatically cut back in my life. I struggle with this all the time but usually my eco-chicness wins out.
Are you generally: optimistic, pessimistic, neutral about environmentalism and the future?
I’m usually very optimistic. I see tiny choices popping up everywhere! More and more people are using the reusable bags (when they can remember to throw them in the car!). I also see more natural and green choices lowering there price points and becoming more and more affordable. A very random example but Fresh Step recently came out with a ‘natural cat litter’ that is the same price as their regular litter (and only contains one pound less).
The whole point of my brand new blog is to make “going green” easier and a more natural transition in your life. Lots of tips and resources to take small steps and save some money in suburbia.
- Click here to read all of the Tiny Choices Surveys!
- Take the Survey: email us your answers to the questions above, along with a photo!
Vital statistics (name, age, location, link to website/blog)?
Katie, 26, Northeast Ohio, http://ecochicinsuburbia.wordpress.com
How do you reside (apartment or house, roommates)?
I recently moved in to an apartment with my partner and cat. We recently purchased a very typical suburban house but had to move for my new job.
Are your housing decisions dictated by choice or necessity? Please explain.
Due to my recent job transition, we had to move in to an all-expenses paid apartment (jealous? LOL). We do still own a home but are fixing it up to sell or rent in the future. We are of course trying to make as many earth-friendly choices as possible!
However, I have truly enjoyed downsizing in to a smaller space. We are shedding possessions and I feel like I have a new skin. We are only keeping things that are worth moving for the 4th time in 2 years and being creative with our decorating.
How do you travel (transit, car, etc)? Are your travel decisions dictated by choice or necessity? Please explain.
I’m lucky enough to live very close to where I work so I walk to and from meetings all day long. Some of my co-workers who live equally close choose to drive (even though it takes the same amount of time) but I really push myself to walk even in the rain and snow. I also plan on biking to the grocery store, post office, etc when the weather clears up a bit.
However, I used to live 45 minutes from my old job and travel weekly to offices hours away in my Prius. Yes, I was eco-chic in my commute but it was very long and a gas-guzzler. I actually put 50,000 miles on my car in one year. I’m hoping to even this out now!!
Tell us about a Tiny Choice you’ve made in your life.
A very tiny choice has been switching to Tom’s of Maine toothpaste! My partner says it’s like brushing your teeth with granola but once you use it for a week or two, the other stuff tastes sickeningly sweet. My teeth are happy and whiter - and greener! I’m also saving up the tubes to mail back to Tom’s for recycling.
I also use Seventh Generation and Method cleaning products. I was able to save some money with coupons and sales which made it even better! I’m hoping to start making my own laundry soap and cleaning products but I’m still researching the best methods. My vinegar/water solution was a fail in my house. So for now I’m happy with my Thyme-scented cleaner :)
I also always have my reusable grocery bags with me. I put them in the closet with my coupons and by my coat so I see them as I am walking out the door to the store.
What is the one environmental dilemma you personally struggle the most with?
Pop! Or Soda…whichever you prefer. I love to drink ice-cold Diet Cherry Pepsi. I absolutely know that it contains all sorts of terrible chemicals and the plastic and aluminum is a huge waste but I try to justify it with the fact that I recycle.
What is one Tiny Choice you can make in that direction?
I received a Soda Stream as a holiday gift and it has been fantastic! The bottles are reused for years and then the CO2 containers are traded in when empty for a refill. The bubbles are just as stress-relieving for me as a pop and if I need some flavor, I do a twist of citrus. I still have the guilty pleasure of a pop every once in awhile but now it’s maybe once week instead of once a day.
What is the one environmental Tiny Choice you make that people question (in either a positive educational or a negative hassle way) you the most about?
My lusting for backyard chickens! I adore the idea of caring for and raising my food. I would love to know exactly where it came from and exactly what went in to it (chickens or veggies). Friends and family are usually intrigued but think I’m a little crazy. They also point out that it’s not cheaper to raise your own produce and eggs when prices can be so low. I try to say that it’s not the point but it’s always a struggle.
I also get unusual looks when I insist that “no, I do not need a bag for my 1-5 items to that I just purchased.” Cashiers get really annoyed sometimes…Why? They don’t have to carry it!
What is the one environmental Tiny Choice you would like every single person to adopt?
STOP buying bottled water!!! It makes my heart hurt when my partner brings home a bottled water (He is obviously not as green as I am!).
Do you feel like you make sacrifices for environmentalism? Please explain.
I do…but more in the eyes of others. I usually struggle with balancing my partner’s less than eco-chicness with my extreme value in our world and dedication to being more green. I take babysteps every day…and bigger steps backwards sometimes. But I do try everyday to be a little bit greener.
To be completely honest, I do struggle with consumerism. Sometimes, I wish that I could throw caution and money to the wind and just go out and go shopping with no guilty thought. I love fashion and clothes shopping and it’s something that I have dramatically cut back in my life. I struggle with this all the time but usually my eco-chicness wins out.
Are you generally: optimistic, pessimistic, neutral about environmentalism and the future?
I’m usually very optimistic. I see tiny choices popping up everywhere! More and more people are using the reusable bags (when they can remember to throw them in the car!). I also see more natural and green choices lowering there price points and becoming more and more affordable. A very random example but Fresh Step recently came out with a ‘natural cat litter’ that is the same price as their regular litter (and only contains one pound less).
The whole point of my brand new blog is to make “going green” easier and a more natural transition in your life. Lots of tips and resources to take small steps and save some money in suburbia.
Topics: Surveys | 1 Comment »
1 Comment
Sorry, the comment form is closed at this time.
I might have to try the Tom’s of Maine toothpaste. I tried to green my toothpaste by switching to some type by Nature’s Gate a couple of months ago, but it really tasted terrible. I might have stuck it out and tried to make the adjustment, but it happened to be during the worst part of my pregnancy nausea, and I really didn’t need my toothpaste tasting gross! We still have that tube, so perhaps I should give it another try — I’d rather not waste the whole tube, even if I decide not to buy anymore.