Tooth paste and Kindness

My mother is a well spring of information and grace. I spent hours yesterday talking to her about reducing waste, saving money, and making food. She was a gentle listener, giving me time to work things through and then giving her advice. She was always kind.

In this journey I want to give that kindness to myself.

My first intentional step is toothpaste. I already have already been doing things that reduce waste, I use two wool dryer balls instead of dryer sheets, I don't really use paper towel, I like reusable bags over plastic (even if I forget them more often then not), and I would rather purchase second hand. These are a wonderful foundation! For the last week I have been squeezing the last bits of toothpaste out of my tube, it was well and truly empty at this point and i tossed it in to the garbage beside my sink. This is the perfect opportunity to expand my list of waste reducing habits.

We were given a bunch of jam this summer, I don't really know how but we have an insane amount of jam. Yesterday morning Josh finished one of the 10,000 we have and the container it came in was the perfect size to put a little bit of toothpaste in! Recipes for toothpaste are really easy to find with a quick google. I used this one. I didn't add stevia or mryhh because I didn't feel like it and stevia makes me nervous.

I had the perfect container and an easy recipe waste free toothpaste here I come!

Fun fact, after 21 years of using commercial toothpaste homemade toothpaste tastes real bad. I almost got discouraged, almost threw out the toothpaste, and almost just used Josh's toothpaste til we both ran out. But I remember my mother, and how I want to show kindness to myself. The toothpaste was a success because I was acting on my values! It was a success because I tried something new! It was a success because I like trying new things! I will be patient and kind to myself while I learn how to be more mindful.