The purpose of this blog

The more options that have become available to not waste, the more I have loved it.  We have tons of reusable grocery bags.  I have recently purchased reusable sandwich and snack bags (see previous post) and will never go back to plastic baggies.  I'm committed to cloth diapering my baby, and I've recently thought of other things I want to change so I can waste less, such as:

• Napkins
• Facial tissue (e.g., Kleenex), although I'm not a fan of old-fashioned handkerchiefs
• Paper plates
• Food containers that can be reused and/or repurposed
• Paper towels: I'm really not sure how to replace these yet as they're useful for so many purposes and don't spread germs since they're thrown away.
• and I'm sure we'll come up with other things!

Why do I want to do this?  Well, not only will I waste less, but I'll SPEND LESS.  Yes, isn't that great?!  Think about it: I spend around $15 on a giant pack of paper plates every few months at Costco.  What if I didn't spend that money?  I'll wash a few more dishes, sure, but the soap and water I use to wash those dishes won't amount to $15 in a few months!  Just think if we didn't buy paper towels, paper napkins, and facial tissue, too!

Second, it's good for the planet.  I'm not a super-crazy "go green" person, but as a Christian, I believe that part of the mission God gave to humanity is to take care of the earth.  In Genesis 1:26, "Then God said, 'Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.'"  We were given authority by God over all the earth!  What an amazing opportunity that is for us.  Why do we then take, take, take from the earth without giving back?  Just because we have "dominion" over the earth doesn't mean we should take advantage of it.

Now, understand that since I believe humanity has dominion over the earth (including animals), I'm not an animal rights activist.  God set humanity above animals, so animals shouldn't have equal rights as humans.  However, I believe humans should care for animals, meaning I don't believe it's right to kill animals only for their fur or to make into a sort of trophy.  When it comes down to it, humans are more important than animals, so I'm more of a social justice (e.g., anti-trafficking) advocate.

If you want to join me on this journey, follow my blog or subscribe to it!  Send me your ideas and suggestions!  Tell others about this!  And please leave your comments on blog posts.