@ Valerie – Mmmm, yes, I am such a sucker for soup. I just made some lentil last night, in fact!

And that’s SUCH awesome news about the plastic! Congrats on transitioning away from the stuff in your kitchen, and congrats on making the mindful decision in the grocery store. These thoughtful steps seem strange at first, but soon they just become second nature and don’t take much thought at all. It’s so great that you’re taking the issue on! Think of the impact you’ll make in just the next year! Amazing. =)

@ Catt – Hooray for cutting out meat! That’s such a great accomplishment (and I know it can be a difficult transition). Good luck on that journey!

As for the lips, oh man I feel ya! My lips get terribly chapped this time of year. I just rely on liberal applications of whatever vegan lip balm I’m using at the time (I’m sampling a variety of companies for an upcoming review). Unfortunately I’m not sure what’s available in Britain. I’d definitely aim for something organic. If you have a health food store or co-op near you, they almost always have a small ‘beauty’ section and usually carry chap stick. Stay away from vaseline/petroleum jelly, since it’s an oil industry product. I’d look for something with as few ingredients as possible, with a natural moisturizer like Vitamin E or coconut/shea/cocoa butter. Oh, and don’t ever lick your lips! (I’m soo bad about that)

Wish I could be more help! Good luck!

I absolutely LOVE your blog. Unfortunately I am part of an all-butcher family who make it more or less impossible for me to avoid meat at home, but I’m at university now and (shh!) have cut out meat!

Anyway, during the winter in Britain the wind and cold make my lips horrific – I feel like they’re falling off most of the time, and have to use really strong lip balm about 10 times a day. I hate using the stuff because it doesn’t even have ingredients on it, and I wondered if you have any tips…? Good look on the little one, I’m really impressed that you’re going to bring him up cruelty-free!

I also have good news to report on the plastic reduction front. Tonight when I went to pack up the leftovers instead of reaching for the Gladware I used Mason jars. Unfortunately, I had more soup than jars so I did end up having to use one Gladware container. Eventually this won’t happen as my jar collection continues to grow. One more triumph: When I went to buy mushrooms for stuffing I first reached for the pre-cut mushrooms in the foam tray and shrink wrap. I noticed that the cut & packaged mushrooms were more expensive than the free-floating ones in the box. I thought “I’ll pay for the convenience of not having to scoop out the gills.” As I walked around the store I remembered the wastefulness of the packaging and the added expense and went back and made the right choice. Thank you Sayward for inspiring us all to make the right choices!

I look forward to hearing about your closets!

Have a blast in these next few months!

@ Nathan – Funny, I’ve just been working on a closet post (inspired by your HQ requests).

I love hearing about the green building projects! There’s so many options out there it can seem overwhelming to just go out hunting. It’s great to hear from real people who have implemented real techniques. Keep sharing! =D

Your own construction project is coming along very nicely, too ;^)

The other thing that occurred to me, as far as the weight gain, is that perhaps you were relying too heavily on starches and simple carbs. These are easy and give you that ‘bellyfull’ feeling that people often lack when transitioning. Think pastas, breads, baked goods, potato products etc. They can easily encompass a large portion of diet, and but they are really empty calories (and pack a punch). Relying too heavily on these could definitely leave you feeling icky, and may cause quite a bit of weight gain as well.

Finally, I wonder how long you stayed veg? The feelings of ickiness could have just been detox, if you only went for a month or a few.It can take a while to transition fully, to re-learn how to feed yourself completely and satisfyingly, and for your body to accustom to all these new, nutrient rich foods! This may not apply to you (and doesn’t really address the weight issue), but I thought I’d throw it out there.

Remember that every body is different, and you will need to taylor your diet to whatever works for you. But I DO believe that you can be a healthy, happy, and slender veg*n if you want to be. If you’re ever interested in trying again, shoot me an email and I’d be more than happy to offer any advice or ideas. =)

Luck!

@ Kate – Thanks! Feelin’ good too! =)

Those are excellent comfort foods, and definitely veganizable. There’s quite a few mac ‘n cheese recipes out there on the internet, which is partly why I’ve held off on developing my own. But, I have yet to find one that *really* does it for me, so maybe it’s about time I get on top of that! I’ll look into it, as well as the other suggestions. Thanks!

@ Courtney – Yay, thanks for joining! I’m glad you like the pics (I wasn’t sure about even posting them . . . ) And yes, life is pretty fun! =D

As for comfort food….I’m not sure if it’s possible to be vegan for these things, but I loooove mac n cheese, beef & barley stew (I SO need my own crock pot), lots of cookies and roasted broccoli (with a little lemon juice, garlic and Parmesan OH so addicting). If you can (or want to), I’m not too familiar with tubers and I believe it’s tuber season – show us what we can do with those delicious winter veggies so we can eat seasonally!