MAIA FAVORItE THINGS - EARTH-FRIENDLY EDITION #1 🌎
It’s April 1st, which means hopefully by the time you’re reading this I’ve put a giant plastic bug in Brig’s homemade breakfast sandwich and I’ll continue wearing my most fun mom ever crown for another year. Yet another successful April Fools Day. (Last year, I won because I told him it was a snow day and there was no school, only to really have the joke be on me for how furious he was he still actually had to go to school!)
The other very exciting thing about April 1st is it kicks off the month when we celebrate Earth Day. I’m always teetering between being someone who absolutely loves the finer things in life, but equally loves being considered at one with nature and frequently reminiscing my Girl Scout Camp Tanglefoot camp counselor days. Earth Day reminds me to focus on growth as I’m working to help support a more sustainable world around me and focusing on the things I can impact. I like to think of these trade outs as a marathon, not a race. (I’m not giving up regular toilet paper ok? So don’t even go there for a second!)
Meanwhile, before we go fully living off the land, there are a lot of small steps we can take to collectively make a big impact. I’m challenging us all this month to find one or two small things we can change within our daily lives to be more sustainable. Hopefully, some of the ideas I share will inspire you. I’d also love to hear anything you’re doing to improve your carbon footprint!
Maia Favorite Things this week are truly at the top of the list. I use them every day and am confident in the positive ways this offsets my carbon footprint.
UnPaper Towels
Not only is it incredible to have rainbow colors filling your home, but it’s also now incredibly sustainable. I truly very rarely use paper towels anymore. I purchased two dozen of these UnPaper Towels, and use them nonstop. They are incredibly soft and durable. Whether it’s wiping off kids’ hands, wiping down the counters, or grabbing one to clean up a quick spill, there’s a reason I need two dozen in rotation. I keep them under my sink in the kitchen for quick access.
HONEST COMPANY MULTI- SURFACE CLEANER
I think we all have something we look back on while growing up that represented extreme wealth and seemed aspirational. For me, and I know this is saying a LOT about me and how cool I’ve always been, one of those things was countertop sprays. My family is a washrag family for cleaning counters. I vividly remember watching Adventures in Babysitting and as she was cleaning the kitchen she used a spray with a cloth. I thought that was wildly fancy (not to mention sanitized). So as we do, making decisions for our own homes once we have them, this house is a countertop spray house. That doesn’t mean, though, that I want chemicals around our food or the kids. I have truly loved using the Honest Company brand in so many parts of my life. This spray is especially great for cleaning anything, using the UnPaper Towels as well. You can take your eco love one step further because there are refill pods available rather than purchasing an entirely new plastic bottle. Order that refill, and wear your Mother Earth crown with pride.
STASHER BAGS
Also in my kitchen, you’ll find these Stasher bags. Something I’ve been pushing on people for years at this point (you’re welcome humans!) Gone are the days you need a disposable baggie. These reusable baggies are fit to tackle so many things that need to be stored, transported, and kept fresh. I use mine for things in the refrigerator, or kids’ snacks. They also have become a staple in this house for holding certain lego kits and their pieces together. Plus, they just pop in the dishwasher for easy cleaning. In my house, Cal has severe allergies, so I use the various colors these come in to support keeping him safe. His color is teal, so the teal bags in the refrigerator and for snacks denote there is food in it that is safe for Cal to consume. I can’t say enough about how much I love these. I wish I had tallied up all of the baggies I haven’t used because I’ve used these for so long, it would be a LOT!
