Resolutions Reviewed

by Jennie Wadsworth

Well as usual I have been a bit rubbish over my New Years Resolutions. Anyone that succeeds at all of them should have picked something harder :) My most important and most difficult was to make more time for paperwork. This has proved almost as impossible as it always was. Someone needs to invent a day of the week that children automatically deal with themselves!!! By the time I have finished my full time job of childminding (might sound easy but try it before you comment!) at 6 I then have my own 2 year old to pay full attention to, cook tea and try!!! to clean up. I am very glad I have decided to stay at home to look after him myself but it can be very hard work sometimes. I have recruited his granddad today so I can do some work!! My husband and I have managed to negotiate alternate nights so I can snatch a few minutes although this is sometimes just enough to sift through emails. I quite enjoy the company of my family so don't really want to work in the day at a weekend. I am hoping that a new work arrangement when I get alternate Fridays off will mean that I can send A to his granddad and get some work done and start a new routine. This is the first day this year it has happened though and already I am running out of time!

My easiest NYR was to remember reusable bags when non-food shopping. We are already in the routine of keys, money, bags when we do our weekly shop but occasional shopping is more difficult to organise. This had mixed results, mostly bad. We went out to spend, spend, spend the vouchers we received for our wedding. We chose to go to the Trafford Centre (boo) and to drive (boo-boo) BECAUSE the fact remains that all the shops under one roof when it is snowing outside is more attractive than being outside and most of the vouchers couldn't be used online. We needed to take the car because there was no way we could carry all the pots, pans and stereo we had picked. Although the trip was quite carefully planned and we had arranged a babysitter, we forgot the bags!! On the plus side, I did manage to remember to take a couple of bags out when I did some Christmas shopping (I thought I would get a head start on my NYR). I got some strange looks as I put some jeans into a cloth bag but knew I wouldn't have to deal with the plastic when I got home and it was easier to carry one full bag than lots of half empty bags. I don't do much non-food shopping and mostly have a pushchair to stuff things under but if I get to shop minus a child I will be planning to take my bags with me and feel confident at the checkout saying 'I don't need a bag thanks'.

Another of my resolutions was to sort the garage out. We have a huge garage but as is the way with large spaces, they just get filled. We had the intention last year of regularly doing car boot sales for a bit of extra cash. I found it was too much hard work for little return and we have ended up with a garage full of junk. I managed to persuade my husband that it doesn't need to be in there and that we could get rid of it all. We arranged a day when someone else could have our son and put a notice on Freecycle that there was a load of junk going spare and anybody could just turn up and take it. We got a few enquiries and about half of it went. I am pleased to say that one of the people worked for a charity so feel feel that we have 'done our bit'. Some of it has gone on eBay and the rest will go to a charity shop when we can fill the car. Although this is only half the job, we have made a good start and just need another day with reasonable weather, motivation and a babysitter to get it finished.

Well now my hour of paperwork is up and I only scratched the surface. Time to fetch my son and get on with all my other jobs! Until next time.

2009: Time to Make a Difference

by Christine McLaughlin

Now that it’s nearly February I’ve decided to share my New Year’s Resolutions with you.

Firstly, I intend to grow something in the garden. I assume this will lower my ecological footprint, although I confess to finding the measuring thereof very befuddling to say the least. I know, of course, that it’s better to go by bike than by car but is it better to go by car than to travel as the only passenger on a double decker bus? Of course the solo bus journey would generate far more CO2 than a car journey, but isn’t it better to put the effort in and travel by public transport in the hope that it will encourage others and create a demand for future services? I digress: back to the potatoes. I’ve decided to grow potatoes in the garden because they seem quite easy – I often find them sprouting in the vegetable rack. I won’t do anything drastic like visiting a garden centre or reading a book or anything. I’m just going to get some potatoes, wait for them to sprout a bit then dig a really deep hole at the bottom of the garden and wait and see what happens.

Next, I’ve decided to look at my diet. I’ve already blogged about the UN report that advised the best thing we can do to tackle climate change is to go vegetarian. This is because farmed animals, in particular cows, produce many tonnes of methane which is far more harmful to the environment than CO2. I’m already vegetarian so I’ve decided to reduce my intake of dairy products.

I decided to cut dairy out completely for the whole of this month; from February I’ll reintroduce a little dairy but I won’t have milk in my coffee any more and I’ll only consume organic dairy.

I often wonder whether my efforts to reduce my ecological footprint really make a difference and I suppose the answer is no, not on their own. We can only make a difference collectively and that’s why it’s so important to vote Green. The Euro elections in May represent an opportunity to stand up and be counted. Don’t waste your vote: time’s running out.