It’s been a couple of months since I last did a What’s New Wednesday post. I didn’t forget, I promise, it’s just been crazy here. Usually by the time I’ve had a moment to type a blog post, Wednesday has come and gone. You didn’t miss much—everything that needs to be shared is usually shared, after all.
That being said, I’m pretty sure there are some folks who likes to know what I’m up to when I’m not being all writerly and stuff. So let’s get on with current obsessions in the What’s New Wednesday post…
What’s New Wednesday
Books
Sitting still for long enough to actually read a book cover-to-cover is somewhat difficult at times. I know I’m not the only one with this problem nowadays. But I do make time for that late in the evenings. It takes a while to finish reading a book, yes, but there’s still nothing quite as satisfying as closing a book and letting the story sink in. Most of those books are currently still in production, and I’m not sure whether I can pimp them yet. So, I’ll stay quiet until I get the go-ahead from the authors and publishers making all the magic happen.
That aside, audiobooks have been a blessing lately. While I’m doing all my mundane stuff (running errands, doing admin, driving, etc.), I just pop my earphones in and allow myself to be transported to a new world. These books, I’m allowed to share (seeing as they’ve been published for a while) and so far I’ve not been disappointed.
TV Shows
Ah, the beauty of binge-watching shows lately… I have a mixed batch of shows I’m currently obsessed with, all of which are binge-worthy. Chernobyl and Catch-22 are the heavy ones, but are absolutely excellent. What We Do In The Shadows is hilarious (especially if you’re into wry humor). The Society and The Order are just superb storytelling. And I doubt I need to give any introduction to Joe Hill’s N0S4A2. If you’re looking for something to watch, definitely try one—or more, if you feel so inclined—of these shows.
Gardening
Look, sometimes I need to clear my head of all the clutter, and there’s no better way to do that than to embrace nature. I have usually been the person who killed plants just by looking at them, but since we’ve moved, my herb garden is flourishing. In just a few months, I suddenly have more chives than I know what to do with. Seriously, I have scoured Pinterest to figure out how to make sure none of my precious herbs go to waste (if you have any tips, be sure to leave me a comment). Right now, I’m working on drying a rosemary, thyme, and oregano harvest, making basil-infused vinegar, and even have some of those herb-olive-oil ice cube thingies in the freezer.
So far, I’m still unsure what to do with all my mint, though… Those plants just grow and grow and grow.
The best part of the gardening venture, you ask? It’s freaking winter here now. Come spring, I’ll have so many edible flowers, I won’t know what to do with them all (well, I have an idea—tea, anyone?).
Going Green
I thought What’s New Wednesday was a perfect time to reveal that, due to doing the gardening research, I may have stumbled onto some interesting articles that handled over some nightmarish stuff. As a result, I’ve become more conscious of my surroundings and the world’s plastic situation.
So, I looked at my bathroom and my kitchen, and was horrified. I mean, there is so much plastic in just the bathroom (shampoo and conditioner bottles, moisturizers and face washes, sanitary product packaging, etcetera)! In the kitchen, it’s not any better (plastic grocery bags, bottles upon bottles, Ziplock bags, and so on). The worst thing about this is, I took the time to look up some of the ingredients in our every day products and I was shocked beyond belief.
What are we putting inside our bodies?
I thought to myself, there had to be alternatives, because I can only reuse so much plastic in my own home, and all those chemicals can’t be good for anyone.
Thankfully, there are thousands of sites dedicated to helping people like me try and cut down on plastic.
How I’m Doing It…
So, the first thing I did was figure out what the most wasteful products were in my house—turns out, it’s female hygiene products and plastic grocery bags. The easiest green change was obviously the grocery bags (I’m recycling my old jeans into reusable shopping bags, which I’ll leave in the car permanently). Next, I found Hannahpad who specializes in reusable and eco-friendly female hygiene products (I’m excited to try them out).
Even my husband’s on board, which makes this much easier to implement. I know it doesn’t sound like much yet, but the amount of plastic I’ve cut back on is already exponential.
Is It Easy To Go Green?
I’ll be honest and say that some things are easier to change than other things. For example, I’m really struggling to find alternatives for dish-washing liquid and laundry detergent. Castile soap is all the rage abroad, but do you think I can easily get it in South Africa? Ha! I’m also unsure what to do in regards to small things like Q-tips, floss, and mouthwash. In general, though, it wasn’t too difficult to cut back on plastic.
What’s Next?
Soon, we’ll be switching to solid bars of shampoo, conditioner, and soap, thanks to figuring out that’s a thing.
I’m still figuring this out, so any tips will be appreciated. 🙂
Planning For Next Year
Okay, so I know it’s a little early to be planning for next year, but it’s better to sort things out sooner rather than later. If all goes well, I’ll be putting up an events page where you’ll be able to see when I’ll be where. Like I said, we’re still in the planning stages, but I have high hopes to give all my lovely readers a better chance to connect with me face-to-face.
And that’s it for this What’s New Wednesday. 🙂 I’ll try to check in again soon with more news!
Have an excellent week,
Monique
