The Beginning

Just a little introduction to get this blog started. As our blog title implies, we are learning how to live more simply. What exactly does that mean? We want to produce less waste, become more environmentally conscious, live a more sustainable lifestyle, and become more educated about food sources. We have ideas of what we want to do - some of them we are doing now. But the more we try and change, the more we seem to think of and are eager to try.

This process started very basic. We've slowly been incorporating changes into our life. We both have always recycled so that was already part of our life. The first change for us was to begin using reusable bags. About three to four years ago we purchased two reusable bags from Trader Joe's. We weren't perfect in the beginning. Yes, we forgot the bags a few times. But that also made us realize how many plastic and paper bags we were bringing home. After a few months we were pros at bringing bags - it was just part of the grocery store routine. We also bought more bags when we realized it would be a good idea to use them at other stores. And now we even bring them to the mall, where some of the cashiers appear confused when we say we'll use our own bag. We hope that one day this will be the norm for all shopping.

Other changes we've made: using reusable mesh bags for produce, using reusable containers at bulk bins, composting, collecting water in rain barrels, being more mindful of electricity, water, and gas usage, buying more local food and making more food from scratch. We are also in the beginning stages of starting a vegetable garden. We plan on writing many posts about our gardening experiences. It's an exciting time for us and we want to chronicle what we're doing and share with other people.

Who are "we?" We are a couple in our mid-twenties and have been married for almost four years. We bought our first house in August 2009. It is a long-term home for us and sits on almost an acre. Now that we've settled down in a permanent residence, we're looking forward to making our house a home and learning to live the simple life.

Author: Cheryl