Various Plastic-Like Goodness

(© Cute Colors)

I love my kids. I really, really do. And because of that love, I spent a full 40 minutes last night packing their school lunches in itty bitty Tupperware containers. Yes, there's a connection!

At school this week, the younger two are doing something called a Green Points Challenge. It's a whole school affair, with each kid being sent home with a checklist of environmentally aware activities to complete for points at home. They also have a classroom sheet. Things like putting your fruit scraps into the classroom compost bin, or pursuading Mum and Dad to plant a water-wise plant. For those overseas, Australia is in a severe drought and water restrictions are in force to varying degrees nationwide. In my area, for example, I'm only allowed to use my garden hose (and only with a trigger nozzle) in a three hour window on a Saturday afternoon. You can still use watering cans and buckets throughout the week, but drippers and sprinklers are totally banned.

Anyhow, the kids have their 'house teams' at school and are competing against each other for a trophy. It really is a fantastic idea, and during these weeks (they do one week every year) the kids get the environmental issue really brought home.

But the Tupperware! Auuugh. One of the items on their list, for 4 points, is to bring a litter-free lunch to school. Think about that for a moment. No plastic wrap on the sandwiches. No ANYTHING with wrappers (no granola bars). No disposable spoons for the yoghurt. No yoghurt! There are absolutely ways around that (unwrap it at home! LOL) but at 11pm last night I was madly scrambling around trying to find enough plastic containers to house all the little bits and pieces that inevitably go into the average child's lunch. Times two.

Thankfully, having gone through the GPC last year, I already had sandwich-sized Tupperware containers, which kept the sandwiches all together (no ham migrating throughout their lunchboxes). And those little snackboxes breed like rabbits, so I had a few of those too. But the whole lunch-makin'-process took about twice the time it usually does - and most of that time was spent searching for the corresponding lids (after I was done, I did sort out the Tupperware cupboard, so all's well that ends well, LOL). And it did kind of bring home how much packaging we as a family waste. But I think I'll harbour a secret little joy tonight when I pick up my Glad ziplocks. I missed you old friends.

This morning, the kids 'rock-paper-scissored' for the honour of riding the scooter to school (with mixed results - long story). Another item on the list is to ride a bike or walk instead of driving. I spent a full hour explaining to the kids last night that since we already live within a 4 minute walk from the school, we were already covered, but they wouldn't hear of it. The 'scoot' to school took fifteen minutes!

Plans for today:

Ring my course co-ordinator. Weeks left. Not months, WEEKS. Eeek. I have heaps to do, and it all needs to get done by the end of November.
Go for a walk. Auugh.
Work on inputting the receipts in my Household Expenses Tally.
Throw on some laundry.
RSVP to a kid's costumed birthday party. Thank goodness for the wizard cape I made last year - it has saved my skin more often than I can count. I cheated and also bought a cheap witches hat. Wah-la! One Wanda Witch. I'm so sad, LOL.
Take photos of my tummy rolls. Long story.
Go on over to My Virtual Model and plug in my current details and then my 'ideal' details. And then cry because they're so far apart :( If you want to have a go yourself, click on 'Women' on the homepage, and then 'Create' above the virtual model (you can also register and then sign in, but it's not necessary to have a bit of a play). If you're inclined, you can also 'dress' the model using a few well known brands but without that, the figures make a good weight loss incentive! LOL. Create one that looks like you now, and one that mirrors what you'd aim for, and stick them side by side as a desktop wallpaper. Or, you know, the fridge. Right next to the photos of your tummy rolls, auugh.

Oh, and I am not a Tupperware rep. Nor is this a paid post, LOL.

Cheers,
Lizzie