Hi!

Several weeks ago, on my local parents’ listserv, there was an interesting thread about dinner – i.e., how one feeds oneself, one’s offspring and one’s partner, especially if everyone works or no one works or the baby is young or the is toddler picky. It was awesome to hear how others do it, and I have already tried some new Dinner Tactics, like the Blue Apron trial we did a couple weeks ago. But from the thread came a small side discussion about balancing your priorities. After all, the business of food is so fraught, morally and otherwise, that it’s hard for a leeetle bit of judge-y-ness not to seep through.

I figure that eating, as in all things, should be an exercise in doing the best you can, and doing your very best not to hold yourself up to other people’s ideas of what your meal/life/closet should look like.

That said, if you want to hold yourself to impossible standards on every front, may I introduce you to the Internet. If you’re not familiar, it's just a treasure trove of people out there telling you how they’re living...and how that's probably better than you are. And, even more so than the world of specialty magazines, the web really lends itself to segmentation. So, there are people who blog entirely about their obsession with paleo chocolate. And how they refashion thrifted clothes. And how they make dollhouse furniture. If you’re interested in something, someone out there is doing it. To the max. (To the max. Let’s bring that expression back, mkay?).

The way I figure it, there are two ways to read about all the amazing things people are doing. One is from a place of despair, because you can’t possibly be quite the Martha these guys are in any particular realm. I know a lot of people get worked up about Pinterest Perfection and the unattainability of blogland, but I don’t see how it’s any different from the fashion and home design magazines I used to read. That stuff be way cray too, and the only difference is that I can choose a little more now, and the advertising is more obvious.

Jeez. Did I mention this was going to be a treatise?

Anyway, the other way to view this abundance of viewpoints is to treat them like inspiration. I don’t think these’ll come as a shock to you, but here are my inspiring reads lately.

The Zero-Waste chef. If you want to feel bad about your kitchen waste, take a gander. She uses All. The. Food. Even the leftover starter in her sourdough bread – and almost never buys products that come in packaging at all. She’s lucky to live in an area where bulk stores are not only present but plentiful, and like-minded folks, if less devout, understand when she uses the word “tare.” Even the Park Slope Food Co-op, of which I am a newly minted member, doesn’t have a system in place for using your own containers, rather than plastic bags, in the bulk section.  

So I’m probably not going to get as close to no waste as she has any time soon (we have just embarked down the dark road of string cheese, which I held out on for so long, but Lou can’t quit you string cheese!). But, I am so inspired! I am forgoing Amazon Fresh in favor of the co-op to reduce packaging and individual shipping, trying for more bulk foods (and reusing the plastic bags they come in) and placing a premium on eating what we buy. I can get better, even if I can’t get perfect. For some really great advice on reducing your culinary carbon footprint, see especially the Zero-Waste Chef’s Seven Tips for a Zero-Waste Kitchen, and you can check out some of my favorite green products here.

The Frugalwoods. I was just about to launch a little series on the blog of small super frugal tips – which include things like making cloth Swiffers, and my recent foray back into cloth diapering. Of course, I’ve written about my love(/hate) relationship with Goodwill and Target and all things thrifty. These guys make me look like unrepentant materialist, which I resent (yeah haters, I know. It’s funny because it’s true). But also, I love their perspective. I think they have a pretty straightforward approach and it’s inspirational. I don’t feel like I’m ready to undertake some of it, like the all-out ban on clothes shopping – not ‘til I make it through post-partum-nursingness-change-of-season nonsense. But I think I’m really close to making the commitment for a month or so. Who’s coming with me?!?  I’ve already internalized some of their tactics. Rule number one appears to be JUST DON’T BUY IT. You gotta love the simplicity. It beats the hell out of waffling back and forth over whether something’s a bargain or if you'll need it six months from now. In the interest of illustrating the point and really reaching their goal, they are going so much further than I ever would, including by sacrificing their indulgent coffee beans for an inferior brew. I like having that kind of commitment as a benchmark. I’ll keep my fancy coffee beans, thanks, and congratulate myself for not buying a latte, but it’s good to anchor up.

Modern Hippie Housewife. In general, if I can make it, I want to at least try making it. Modern Hippie Housewife has tried making lots, and lots, of stuff. She brings a generally eco-friendly lens to her concoctions that really jives with my own world view; so she’s not making her own things solely to save cash – say, making wrinkle-free spray by diluting Downy or your own baby wipes by using paper towels, which is great, but isn’t really my jam. Instead, she’s got great, simple recipes for everything from green face cleanser to crackers, and she shares lifestyle changes that make a difference for her, like switching from bagged tea to loose-leaf. I shared her shaving cream recipe yesterday, and I plan to purchase her shampoo bars when I make my foray into homemade hair care.

I am into all these blogs – and I hope you like them too – but I like reading them as a group because it reminds me that we all have to prioritize. So the Frugalwoods aren’t overly obsessed with packaging or environmental impact, while the Zero-Waste Chef clearly would happily pay more for particular items when they meet her enviro goals. Of course, a lot of the aims overlap, but sometimes you have to figure out your ultimate goal and act accordingly. Even if that means string cheese winds up in your shopping basket (because the ultimate goal is getting some food into my hangry one's belly).

So tell me: What or who – on the Internet or otherwise – is inspiring you these days? Any fashion blogger making you yearn for different threads, home cooks having you reach for your immersion blender, or fitness gurus showcasing a more active lifestyle? Do tell! I’m always into a little inspiration. And as a thanks for reading bonus - happy 5 months to Wes(t)!