2.16.2010

Works for Me Wednesday: Paper Plates


..... and..... cue the ducking motion by me!  I know I'm going to get some slack for writing this post.  However, I do not care.  Why?  Because I am a working wife and mother that works on average 50 -60 hrs per week and I do not own a dishwasher.  My kitchen doesn't have the space for a dishwasher even if I could afford one, depressingly enough.  Yes, I understand that when my family consumes food off of 30 paper plates per week it seems... well, a tad wasteful... but I also understand that I cannot commit to washing umpteen dishes every single night.  I simply to not have the time, and anyone who knows my schedule also knows this.  So, I'll apologize to the insane passionate environmentalists and the garbage man (who has to haul all of our bulging bags away!) before I say "I Love My Paper Plates!"  There, I said it, but I'll also throw in that I do not subject my children and husband to a life filled with paper plate blandness 24/7 either.  There are many weekend-nights during which I serve dinner on actual dinner plates... and then I feel redeemed... until it comes time to wash all of those dirty dishes.

For more Works For Me Wednesday posts, visit wearethatfamily.com

6 comments:

  1. You know...it's all about what works for your family. And good for you for not letting time with your family fall by the wayside in the name of washing dishes! Go ahead and make your stand! =)

    ReplyDelete
  2. Don't let anyone make you feel guilty over paper plates! We likely waste as much of the earth's natural resources (water) using our dishwasher as you waste with your paper plates. You go girl! :)

    ReplyDelete
  3. Just think of all the water you're saving!
    Good luck in the OAMM contest!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Don't feel bad, at least they aren't eating off the table! :)

    ReplyDelete
  5. I love paper plates too!! And I don't work. :) and I have a dishwasher. But we go through a lot of dishes/pans/cups and I get tired of always loading the dishwasher. So I use my paper plates when I need to.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Hey, I am one of those passionate environmentalists, but I think this compromise makes sense for you, for now. I can see from the photo that your kids are too young to wash dishes, and I'm willing to assume that your husband has a job outside the home and as little time as you do. In a few years, the kids will be able to help more and you won't need the paper plates. Meanwhile, if they are PAPER plates (not plastic or foam), and especially if you're able to get the kind made from recycled paper, they are just not that environmentally damaging.

    I work 40 hours a week and have a 5-year-old. Washing dishes takes up 3 or 4 hours of my precious home time each week, so I totally understand why you want to reduce it. What we do is use some of our dishes multiple times between washings, and I know a lot of people would find THAT unacceptable. It's all about what works for you!

    Cloth napkins can be washed with your clothes--no extra effort AND no extra water, since they're so small--so if you wouldn't mind using cloth napkins alongside your paper plates, you'd be actually wasting less than people who use washable plates and paper napkins!

    ReplyDelete

Related Posts with Thumbnails