About Us
Christi and I have been married for 11 years. We fell in love in college after being friends for a couple years. She is pretty much the most patient and kind person I know. She's also a faithful blogger (yes, important).
On Sunday, July 25, 2004, we started a new journey when Allison, our daughter, smiled at us for the first time. Things got even better on Thursday, July 5, 2007, when Clay, our son, was born. We've got a full house now.
As a family we are trying to rethink many of the choices we make and their impact on people and our planet. Christi and I view our stewardship of the Earth as one of many important responsibilites as followers of Jesus. Shrinking our footprint and moving towards more sustainable daily practices for us isn't a liberal or conservative debate so much as a matter of fidelity to God's Word and his call in our lives.
Bloggity Blog
Family Projects
The list below is a way for us to share some of the many options available to those who want to make positive choices in regards to people and planet. Education is key for people making informed decisions. We would love to hear from others about choices they have made or if you know of something else we should consider.
And yes, that is the roof of our our house. It is a 1.9kW solar system installed by REgrid Power.
Future or In Progress
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- Hire A.A. Marthedal to install AccuClean , a whole house air cleaner
- Backyard: Composting yard waste and dog poop
- Start a back-yard veggie garden
- Replace old carpet with Mohawk Carpet (made with recycled bottles) ..
Completed & Ongoing
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- Joined PG&E's Climate Smart program and now have a carbon neutral home NEW
- Offset our air travel CO2 pollution with a TerraPass NEW
- Drink my water from a safe & reusable SIGG Bottle, not plastic NEW
- Avoid buying and eating genetically modified foods (GMO's ) with this guide NEW
- Use gDiapers to our reduce landfill contributions (compost or flush) NEW
- Switched to EcoSense - a line of cleaners with a completely different philosphy
- Converted our car to run on waste veggie oil from local restaurants
- Use only safe plastics - especially for bottles and sippy cups
- Installed Solar PV system with REgrid Power - eliminates 100% of electric bill
- Drop off E-Waste at Fresno State Electronic Recycling Program (Or here)
- Use dry cleaning alternatives to reduce perchloroethylene
- Use the Better World Shopping Guide (ipod or book)
- Avoid buying PVC products (Blue Vinyl movie)
- Reduce air pollution by altering some daily practices
- Participate in recycling 95% of waste at work
- Every week buy a box of locally grown organic produce here
- Vermiposting : Yes, worms eat our trash. We bought a kit here
- Bought a TerraPass to clean up after our car
- Before solar electric we bought Renewable Energy Certificate's for our home
- Trade-in gas mower for an electric (EPA Article). Spring '07 trade-in info
- Grasscycle (Mulch mow) our yard to reduce need for fertilizer
- Give/Get stuff on Fresno/Clovis Freecycle
- Replace light bulbs in our house with Compact Fluorescent's
- Follow the City of Clovis watering schedule
- Change my shoes
- Follow the City of Clovis recycle guidelines at home
- Follow PG&E's energy-saving tips
- Bring our own bags to the stores (Or, skip the bag and carry the items)
- Reuse paper & plastic bags when we don't bring our own (paper or plastic?)
- Buy locally or California grown food
- Choose organics when possible, especially for this produce
- Eat much less red meat (ABC news story)
- Follow the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch Guide
- Drink filtered water to avoid these contaminants..
Books
Recent Tunes
Choix DuJour?
In the movie The Matrix, a group of people knock on Thomas' (AKA Neo) door, including the characters Choix and DuJour. "Choix" is French for "Choice." His girlfriend's name, duJour, means "of the Day." Thomas notices a tattoo of a white rabbit on the girl's shoulder (think Alice in Wonderland). Thomas is then faced with choices he must make which will shape his identity, thus shaping the world as well. Does he go with these odd characters on some unknown adventure or does he stay home and in his state of bare awareness that there is more to life than he has experienced so far?
We, too, face choices every day that shape us, our world and our eternity. Thus, the name of this site, Choix DuJour, or Choice of the Day.
