New perspectives: Speak up!

Photo credit: here.

Some days I have the motivation to run a marathon (figuratively speaking), write tons of posts and talk to enough people to keep the idea going and have them inspire me in return. But since we're all human, that feeling can't always last forever without any interruptions. There are days that get you a little down and feel a little blue about the current state of things. Of course, this is a reality we deal with every day and it's ok to feel like that, so long as you don't let that feeling distract you for too long.

I'll give you an example. A few weeks ago, I ordered some stainless steel straws from www.lifewithoutplastic.com. My mom and dad brought them over from Canada because I saw them 2 weeks ago and I was really excited to receive my order of straws (along with some really great non-plastic food storage containers) as well as see my parents! I'm not proud to say, my straws are still packaged and sitting on my table...(I'll go unwrap them now!)

Lazy Sundays: more sustainable take-out

Some days I'm bouncing around, up early to go to the market or willing to bike across town to get the food I want without any impact, whereas other days are lazy days. Yesterday was one of those day. We went to a wedding all day Saturday and came home around 4am. Though I wasn't full of energy, I do have a rather regular internal clock, so when I woke up at 9am and couldn't fall back asleep, I kind of figured it would be a slow day.

When deciding what to whip up for dinner (in the mid-afternoon), I opted for my favourite Chinese restaurant: Shanghai. Although this place has little to do with environmental benefits, I made efforts to reduce the waste resulting from my visit.

Today's tip: When getting take-out (or eating-in and taking home leftovers), bring your own containers and bags.

You may have a few objections, so allow me to explain:
- The walk to the restaurant is a welcome stroll on the lazy day. Fresh air never did anyone any harm, nor did a leisurely stroll (unless your doctor has put you on bed rest and forbidden all types of movement) so take advantage of this.
- Some days you don't want to sit at the restaurant so you can bring your own containers and take the food home with you. This can be especially handy if you're dining-in as well, because the portions at some places (like this one) will last you 3 days anyway.

I'm still working on perfecting this... sometimes my containers are too small and I end up with a box of styrofoam (out of two), which breaks my heart so that motivates me to bring the right sizes in the future or specify exactly what I want. Yesterday, I brought a plastic bag I had at home only to end up with my plastic bag and another one (apparently they thought mine was too small) holding the other container. Next time, I'll make sure to come prepared and not to be shy about specifying why I'm going out of my way to bring my containers over there.

In any case, what about you guys? Where does your motivation lie? Is it in using natural products, eating organic, reducing emissions or packaging waste? How have you (or are you/will you) made changes to your regular habits (big or small) to incorporate your values?