It's Finally Happened!

Hello!

So over the past few days I've been reflecting on myself and how I'm living my life. For the most part I'm very happy with the path I'm on and where it is going, but I also have this drive to keep searching for new ways to improve my current state.

This began over a year ago after I first saw the documentary Food Inc., which literally changed my life. After Max and I watched this it was quite apparent that we could never go back to the way we were living previously (thus becoming vegan). We were vegan for about six months before transitioning to vegetarianism. As with any change in life there is a transition period, but we made it through! I can honestly say with conviction that I could never go back. The only real challenges we've had to face are maintaining healthy and nutritious eating habits while sticking to a budget. Our first Vegan grocery trip we went to Earth fare and walked out with our wallet $200.00 lighter. It was at that point that some serious reassessing took place. At this point we try to buy the produce we need while it's in season and purchase frozen when it is not. I can cook pretty well, but at this point I have had several horrid experiences trying to soak/cook/freeze dried beans so we buy canned, which (slap my wrist) I know is awful. We have found that it really is quite simple to eat vegetarian on a budget you just have to get inventive to keep from eating the same things over and over again.

Eating on a budget is all well and good and eating healthily on a budget is even better, but we still had a vice.
I lived for my soda! I could not get through the day with out several hundred milligrams of caffeine coursing through my veins. I thought "Stephanie you already gave up meat, what's wrong with a little soda?" Well my friend let me tell you! The feeling of waking up in the morning bright eyed and fresh with the full knowledge that you are ready to take on the day is all the confirmation I need that I made the right decision to kick caffeine. I never thought of myself as an addict until the day after my first day without it. Day one I drank my last Pepsi and felt good (after the Pepsi). Day two, no soda! Hello headache and irritability just ask Max :). I didn't begin to feel normal until about a week later. At this point I've not had any caffeine for about two months and have never felt better!

So now lets get to what brought on this tangent (finally, right?). I just watched No Impact Man on Netflix and though I don't see myself ever going to that extreme, I definitely do not see anything wrong with taking a long hard look in the consumerism mirror and really take the time to address what my needs are and how I can possibly reduce my footprint I'm leaving on this planet (you're welcome hypothetical grand-kids). Oh! and I'm going Poo-Free, which means I'm going to stop using conventional shampoo and conditioner and make my own. So I guess this means it's officially happened... I've became a Hippie!!