I've stopped buying shampoo!

Happy Earth Day, everyone! I wanted to give you an update on my Compact pledge! You know, the one where I have sworn off purchasing anything new? Am I really not using shampoo anymore??? Did I turn into a smelly hippy? Here's a little update:

My successes:

• Strawberry tables forever! On a neighborhood walk, Vince and I found a great outdoor table that someone was giving away for free! It is a perfect table to put our strawberry plants on. I got the idea from a Berry Growing class I took at Common Grounds. Strawberries are prone to pests so they are better off raised up where you can keep an eye on them and where the berries will not rest in the dirt.
  
• No more shampoo and conditioner! I read a BUST magazine article (sadly not online) about using baking soda and vinegar instead of shampoo and conditioner. I have tried it for a month and it works great! Here is how you do it: 1) make a watery paste out of the baking soda in the shower(the paste should not be gritty) massage this onto your hair and scalp. 2) rinse very well in hot water (make sure to get all the baking soda out) 3) then rinse again with diluted apple cider vinegar (dilute each quarter cup of vinegar with a cup of water). you can also use beer or lime juice.
• 40 years of newspapers! We recently got the walls of our house insulated with ground up recycled newspapers. They estimate that there are about 40 years of a daily newspaper in our walls. Now we have great insulation and some sound-proofing too. Not to mention we got a 10% rebate back from PG&E!
  

My failures:

• I bought some new stuff. A new suit, a new book, fabric, wedding gifts, birthday gifts. I feel bad getting used stuff for gifts for people.
  

Oh well, it is not about being perfect, it is about re-thinking what I really need to purchase and what I can do without or find used.

Happy earth day everyone!