We had to go to the grocery store on the way home from the airport.  I wouldn’t allow my mom to use a produce bag, and I’m disappointed that I haven’t made my own ones yet!  I also got my skim milk in a carton, not a plastic jug.  It’s also organic!  But it was $1.25 more expensive than the one my mom bought (she bought a plastic one).  I know my parents won’t go along with this whole no plastic stuff, so I’m doing it only for my own stuff.  We went to Hannaford which is a more expensive store, so I’ll check out the prices at other stores, see if I can find it cheaper!

At checkout, I only had one Chico Bag, but we had a bunch of stuff.  I had a large purse, but it was filled with stuff from using it as my carry on luggage. So I took stuff out, put it in my mom’s purse (I had a reusable coffee mug AND my Camel Bak bottle, AND a hard cover book, AND my reusable cloth napkin that I carried with me all weekend (which is SO handy to have a napkin with me at all times).  So I took a bunch of stuff out of my purse, and then filled it with apples, bananas, red peppers, and a cucumber.  Everything else fit in the chico bag.  Oh, and I carried the milk in my hands, bagless.

So I guess I’m starting this “no plastic” challenge now.  Tomorrow will be the official first day.

I read that baking soda can be used for deodorant.  One person said to put it on while you’re still wet from the shower… and another person said to apply it with a puff (like makeup from the old days!)  I’d definitely be willing to try that.  But like I said before, if I already have it, I’m going to use it.  But I won’t buy anything new.

Oh, and Happy 10/13!  It’s Special Agent Fox Mulder’s birthday, as well as X-Files creator Chris Carter.  10/13 is the name of the production company that put out the X-Files.  So 10/13 is a special day for X-Philes.

Oh, and I’m giving up diet soda starting tomorrow.  I dunno for how long.  Let’s say 2 weeks.

Things for tomorrow:

Walk 10,000 steps
Walk Rindge Road, and pick up garbage!  I see it every time I run, so I need to slow down, and do something about it.
Read for at least 30 minutes.  I’m close to finishing a book, and I just started it today!!  I got 180 pages done at the airport and in the plane.
Don’t buy anything, and especially nothing with plastic.

Florida was pretty great.  It was a short time, Friday to Monday morning.  But I went to two weddings, and then Sunday afternoon we went over to their (the bride and groom’s) house and had a cookout!

I’m pleased to announce that I didn’t buy a single thing while in Florida.  Ok, that’s not true.  Of course I did, because I was on vacation. All of my food and drink had to be purchased! But that was ALL I bought, I swear.   Yesterday with the cookout, I ate so much, that I knew I wouldn’t be that hungry for dinner, and that I also needed breakfast for the morning.  I went to the grocery store, and bought 3 bananas, 2 apples, a small thing of orange juice, and two small boxes of Special K.  It cost me $5.  I had skim milk in the mini fridge in the hotel that my aunt Kathy left for me.  So last night, I went to the gym for an hour while my parents went out and ate.  Even thought we had SOOO much food, my mom said “When I eat, I only eat small amounts,” so she was still hungry!  My dad, Kathy, and I were stuffed, and my mom wanted to go out for dinner!  So they went and hung out, and I said “screw that, I’m so full, and I want to exercise.”  I got back to the room at 9, and ate my yogurt and apple and banana.  (While they were out, I watched Joe Dirt, and Head of State! Awesome TBS movies) Then in the morning, I had my cereal, OJ, and my banana.  Dinner and breakfast for $5!  I rock.  Both my parents had to go to Starbucks and spend $3 each on their pastry alone.  I don’t know how much they spend on coffee.  I’d say they were each over $5.  PLUS, they went out for dinner!!!!

I also knew that I’d want Diet Coke while on vacation, so I bought a 2-liter at CVS for $1.80, and then carried it around with me in my reusable coffee mug.

Our hotel was attached to the Mall of Florida, and I didn’t purchase a single item (the only store I actually went into was the Gap, and saw nothing that appealed to me).  I did not come home from Florida with anything that I didn’t go there with.  Actually, that’s not true either.  I saved all the plastic cups I got on the plane, cause I am going to recycle them.

I would love to own a café like this, with patio seating out front.
I just read the book Starbucked about how Starbucks has changed the world. I don’t drink coffee, or go to Starbucks, but after reading it, I really want to hang out in a coffee shop!  If it’s a busy one, I bet it’d be a great place to meet other people.

I was just telling mom how I’d love to live and work in a place where everything was included. Like, if I lived and worked in a hotel. All rent and food would be included and the money I made would go to me having fun (or saving). If I owned a café, I’d want to live above it, so I could save on traveling. I wouldn’t need a car!

I saw this sign at the Orlando airport, and thought it was pretty great.