It's The Little Things We Do

A couple of weeks ago I went to print something, and the printer didn't have any paper in it. I searched the drawers in my desk and found nothing. Turns out the girls decided that computer paper works well for drawing, and they used up every last piece.

As I was standing in the store trying to decide which kind to get, I noticed that they now sell copy paper made from recycled materials. I thought that was pretty neat. I would love to be able to buy all recycled office supplies, but I just can't afford it. The recycled paper was almost twice as much as the regular paper.

Why is that?

I have been doing little things to help save paper, though.

• I signed up for online banking, so the bank will no longer send out monthly statements in the mail.
• My cable/phone/internet provider no longer mails me detailed statements.
• We signed Junior up for direct deposit, so he will no longer be getting paper checks from work.
• The kids have started doing power point presentations instead of written reports, and to be honest, they have more fun and do a better job this way, too.

I know these are only little things, but if we all did these little things, we could make a difference together.

My, Ahem, Office

My home office consists of my computer, on a desk, in a corner of the living room. The lighting in this corner is horrible, especially at night. Even though I have two elephant table lamps already, I need something to sit on my desk to help me see when the rest of the house is sleeping. I hate turning the overhead light on, because it shines right into the bedrooms. Maybe this cute little elephant lamp will do the trick.

My Home Office

Since I am doing more and more work from home, I have decided that I need my own little work area. Right now I just have my desk in the living room, with my computer and notebooks. This is fine when I am home alone, but when everyone is here, it gets loud quickly. When the television is on, I find it hard to concentrate on what I am writing. Add in three noisy kids and it's almost impossible to get anything done.

Unfortunately, the apartment is too small for me to put my desk anywhere else. But that doesn't mean that I can't make this little spot my own. I want to look into getting some recycled business cards and other eco-friendly office supplies. I have specific notebooks for each site I write for, but I have no system of filing or keeping track of the payments I get, except for a calender I write on. And it's handmade by me. Ryan even made me a handmade calender for Christmas, which I love, but I think I need something more task specific. Maybe a planner of some sort. I do know that I want to do my part to help our planet, so buying supplies made with recycled materials is important to me. Yes, they may be a tad more expensive, but it's a small price to pay to keep our planet healthy.