I'd like to consider myself a free-spirit. I don't like to conform or to follow blindly, and I hate being told what to do. However, I wouldn't consider myself a leader either. Being responsible for raising 3 human beings and shaping who they'll ultimately become in their future selves scares the heeby-jeebies out of me. Sure, I'll take the initiative to plan and organize things, but once someone puts that responsibility on my shoulders, I freeze.....except when it comes to this environmental thing.
I love being able to lead people in the right direction when it comes to being green. I love when people ask me how they can be a little more eco-friendly and I can give them baby steps. I will jump at any opportunity to tell people what they can do to be kinder to the environment (tactfully, of course). Some people don't want to be bothered with it, and I get that, so I leave them alone and instead brainwash their kids to pester them at home. Kidding, of course. Sort of.
Most of all I love to lead by example. By no means do I lead a strictly eco-friendly lifestyle. Even this hardcore environmentalist can see the value of convenience every once in a while. I think it's funny when my friends have me over and apologize for using disposable plates. At least they are conscious of it and maybe feel a little bit guilty. And maybe next time they'll think twice about it. Maybe not, but that's okay, too.
If I can change the mind or action of just one person, I've done my job. If I can get someone to question whether or not convenience is better than living a little more sustainably, then I haven't wasted my time. If I can convince even the most conservative person that acting a little more responsibly and selflessly can affect our planet now and for future generations, then I feel like I need to continue to spread the word.
So for this Earth Day, check out some of my past eco-tips and take a baby step towards protecting our planet. Thank you for reading and trying to be a little greener. Check out your local Earth Day festival and learn some more.
Happy Earth Day!!
Thursday, April 19, 2012
Tuesday, March 6, 2012
Lessons from the Lorax
This past weekend, the movie "The Lorax" based on the Dr. Seuss book was released. I took my children to go see it and they loved it. Lou Dobbs recently was claiming that the movie was trying to indoctrinate children into believing the liberal agenda of environmentalism. As I've blogged about before, I'm not sure why protecting the environment should be a political issue.
The planet belongs to everyone, regardless of your political affiliation, so why wouldn't you want to keep it as beautiful as possible. Whether or not you buy into the global warming/climate change debate, this should be something everyone should be vested in. Natural resources, such as trees, are limited, so let's use them less and protect them more.
"If you put it in a plastic bottle, people will buy ANYthing!", touted one of the characters in the movie. In this case, they were talking about selling bottled air since the air had become so polluted without the trees (that had been all chopped down many years ago) to provide oxygen and clean air. This could also be said about how we've bought into the bottled water craze. Some companies have become a little more eco-conscious and started making the bottles with less plastic or with plant based components, but it still ends up as trash in the landfill, or worse, in the ocean.
So indoctrinating your kids into caring about what kind of Earth is left for future generations isn't really a bad thing. Remember some of the lessons we grew up with?
Give a hoot, don't pollute:
This little slogan began in the 1970s, teaching kids to not litter and to clean up their environment.
This land is your land, this land is my land:
This song didn't really have to do with the environment but did talk about the beauty of the United States of America. I've always interpreted it to mean "Take care of our land" but that's just my hippy state of mind fitting it to what I believe. :)
And my favorite, Reduce, Reuse, Recycle:
I remember this mantra from my youth which was first coined in the first Earth Day back in 1970. Most recently, Jack Johnson made a song with the same name which was featured in the movie "Curious George". It's a catchy tune, sure to get your kids singing and hopefully living it.
Here is a link to the Lorax website that gives kids (and their adults) tips on how to be green. Print out the list (on recycled or the back of used paper) and put it up so you can be reminded daily on little things you can do to make a positive impact.
We could learn a few things from the wise Dr. Seuss. :)
The planet belongs to everyone, regardless of your political affiliation, so why wouldn't you want to keep it as beautiful as possible. Whether or not you buy into the global warming/climate change debate, this should be something everyone should be vested in. Natural resources, such as trees, are limited, so let's use them less and protect them more.
"If you put it in a plastic bottle, people will buy ANYthing!", touted one of the characters in the movie. In this case, they were talking about selling bottled air since the air had become so polluted without the trees (that had been all chopped down many years ago) to provide oxygen and clean air. This could also be said about how we've bought into the bottled water craze. Some companies have become a little more eco-conscious and started making the bottles with less plastic or with plant based components, but it still ends up as trash in the landfill, or worse, in the ocean.
So indoctrinating your kids into caring about what kind of Earth is left for future generations isn't really a bad thing. Remember some of the lessons we grew up with?
Give a hoot, don't pollute:
This little slogan began in the 1970s, teaching kids to not litter and to clean up their environment.
This land is your land, this land is my land:
This song didn't really have to do with the environment but did talk about the beauty of the United States of America. I've always interpreted it to mean "Take care of our land" but that's just my hippy state of mind fitting it to what I believe. :)
And my favorite, Reduce, Reuse, Recycle:
I remember this mantra from my youth which was first coined in the first Earth Day back in 1970. Most recently, Jack Johnson made a song with the same name which was featured in the movie "Curious George". It's a catchy tune, sure to get your kids singing and hopefully living it.
Here is a link to the Lorax website that gives kids (and their adults) tips on how to be green. Print out the list (on recycled or the back of used paper) and put it up so you can be reminded daily on little things you can do to make a positive impact.
We could learn a few things from the wise Dr. Seuss. :)
Monday, January 23, 2012
Plastic-free New Year
Happy New Year! This year I am looking forward to learning new things about how to live green and sharing these tips with you all. The good news is, you learn something new every day. The bad news is, you learn something new every day.
Unfortunately for me, once I learn something about the environment it's extremely difficult to get it out of my head. This can be a blessing and a curse. The latest example is that now I have learned more about plastics than I ever cared to know, and now I must incorporate that into my everyday life. This article breaks down all the numbers in the magic triangles according to their recyclability and what these plastics are made from. Most importantly, though, it tells you that most of it is bad for your health.
Here's the breakdown of it all:
It says the plastic containers should be tossed if:
If you have plastic containers:
So, I went through my cupboards and got rid of it all. Including many of my water bottles. It goes against everything I've been taught in the eco-world to toss things, but as long as I'm putting them in recycling it's staying out of the landfill.
From now on, we'll use stainless steel water bottles. I particularly like the Thermos brand stainless steel for kids lunches since they are shorter and wider and much easier to clean. For leftovers I'll use glass or ceramic containers and will use any BPA-free plastic containers to store dried goods like Goldfish crackers or cookies.
Whatever I can do to keep the kids away from toxins or carcinogens and at the same time keep our environment a little greener, I'm all for it. I toyed with the idea of going completely plastic-free but it's close to impossible in this society. Packaging alone contains so much plastic that I wouldn't be able to buy practically anything from the grocery store, toy store, or even clothing store.
I'll start with baby steps, in the kitchen first and see where that takes me.
Unfortunately for me, once I learn something about the environment it's extremely difficult to get it out of my head. This can be a blessing and a curse. The latest example is that now I have learned more about plastics than I ever cared to know, and now I must incorporate that into my everyday life. This article breaks down all the numbers in the magic triangles according to their recyclability and what these plastics are made from. Most importantly, though, it tells you that most of it is bad for your health.
Here's the breakdown of it all:
- 1 is safe unless exposed to heat and then it releases toxins
- 2, 4, and 5 are safe
- 3 and 6 are NOT safe
- 7 is safe as long as it's BPA-free.
It says the plastic containers should be tossed if:
- They're old
- Have been exposed to heat (like the dishwasher or microwave)
- Have been cleaned with harsh detergents
- Are scratched or worn
If you have plastic containers:
- DON'T use in microwave (even if labeled microwave-safe)
- DON'T use to store foods that are hot, oily, fatty or acidic
- DON'T reuse the take-out or disposable containers since they are only meant for ONE-time use
- DON'T wash in dishwasher, and wash by hand instead
So, I went through my cupboards and got rid of it all. Including many of my water bottles. It goes against everything I've been taught in the eco-world to toss things, but as long as I'm putting them in recycling it's staying out of the landfill.
From now on, we'll use stainless steel water bottles. I particularly like the Thermos brand stainless steel for kids lunches since they are shorter and wider and much easier to clean. For leftovers I'll use glass or ceramic containers and will use any BPA-free plastic containers to store dried goods like Goldfish crackers or cookies.
Whatever I can do to keep the kids away from toxins or carcinogens and at the same time keep our environment a little greener, I'm all for it. I toyed with the idea of going completely plastic-free but it's close to impossible in this society. Packaging alone contains so much plastic that I wouldn't be able to buy practically anything from the grocery store, toy store, or even clothing store.
I'll start with baby steps, in the kitchen first and see where that takes me.
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
Cloth Diapering: Part Two
It has now been about 8 weeks since I've started cloth diapering and I'd like to tell you what I've learned, what have been the advantages and disadvantages, and my take on the whole thing.
What you need:
As I said in my previous post, cloth diapering isn't as difficult or as daunting as it seems. The diaper option I've chosen is the cloth diapers that pretty much look like regular disposable diapers. They're called "All in Two's" and I've tried two different brands: Bum Genius and Tiny Tush. They consist of a cloth diaper with snaps to adjust to the girth and length of your baby, and have a microfiber insert that you take out when you're ready to wash them.
Cleaning them requires a diaper sprayer so you can spray the poop off the diaper before you throw it in the wash. They say you can throw them directly in the wash if you're only breastfeeding, but I think that's pretty darn nasty so I rinse them out first. I bought 18 (at a deal of buy 5 get one free) and have had to do laundry every 3 days or so. I've thrown other things in the wash with them in order to make it a full load (things such as shower curtains or bath rugs) to be a little more energy efficient. I hang them up to dry so I save even more energy in the process.
What works:
You have to have a system, from what I've learned, in cleaning the darn things. I unsnap them completely before I take them off for a changing, and separate the microfiber inserts from the diaper. I have 2 wet bags (which are lined cloth bags that contain the odor miraculously),
one large one for the liners and the already rinsed diapers, and a small one for the poopy diapers. I then take the small bag to the bathroom with the diaper sprayer and start cleaning.
What I need to do in order to make it less of a pain to clean is to start rinsing them every day at the end of the day. Otherwise, they just sit in the bags and become a little more difficult to rinse off. Of course, I can't let them sit too long since I'll run out, but even a day in the bag gets crusted up. (I know, nice visual).
Also, after they have been washed I assemble them so they're ready to go when I need them. At night I put two microfiber cloth inserts to make sure they are extra absorbent and have one extra assembled diaper in case I have to change him in the middle of the night. In the beginning of my trial with cloth diapers, I found that I wasn't adjusting the diapers tight enough and had many leaks. It's a learning process but once you get the hang of it it's super easy and convenient.
I have even gotten brave enough to leave the house with cloth diapers in my diaper bag to change while I'm out and about. I did NOT, however, take them with us for our trip during the holidays since I didn't want to do laundry while we were away. Again, it's still less disposable diapers than if I hadn't started cloth diapers at all.
I think I'll buy another wet bag to keep in my diaper bag so I can use less plastic bags. And I might just buy a few more cloth diapers so I can go an extra day without doing laundry.
What didn't work:
I took a stab at the cloth wipes, but found them to be more of a pain in the ass because they're not easy to clean unless you get your hands all over them, so I just eliminated that out of the equation. Less stress makes it more enjoyable and more likely that I'll continue to do this. Yes, I'm creating waste with disposable wipes, but it's much less than what I would have made with disposable diapers.
So there's the good and the bad so far in my cloth diapering journey. I'll write another post once the baby starts solids. Something I'd like to delay as long as possible since I don't want to think about those poops.
Thanks for reading!
What you need:
As I said in my previous post, cloth diapering isn't as difficult or as daunting as it seems. The diaper option I've chosen is the cloth diapers that pretty much look like regular disposable diapers. They're called "All in Two's" and I've tried two different brands: Bum Genius and Tiny Tush. They consist of a cloth diaper with snaps to adjust to the girth and length of your baby, and have a microfiber insert that you take out when you're ready to wash them.
Cleaning them requires a diaper sprayer so you can spray the poop off the diaper before you throw it in the wash. They say you can throw them directly in the wash if you're only breastfeeding, but I think that's pretty darn nasty so I rinse them out first. I bought 18 (at a deal of buy 5 get one free) and have had to do laundry every 3 days or so. I've thrown other things in the wash with them in order to make it a full load (things such as shower curtains or bath rugs) to be a little more energy efficient. I hang them up to dry so I save even more energy in the process.
What works:
You have to have a system, from what I've learned, in cleaning the darn things. I unsnap them completely before I take them off for a changing, and separate the microfiber inserts from the diaper. I have 2 wet bags (which are lined cloth bags that contain the odor miraculously),
one large one for the liners and the already rinsed diapers, and a small one for the poopy diapers. I then take the small bag to the bathroom with the diaper sprayer and start cleaning.
What I need to do in order to make it less of a pain to clean is to start rinsing them every day at the end of the day. Otherwise, they just sit in the bags and become a little more difficult to rinse off. Of course, I can't let them sit too long since I'll run out, but even a day in the bag gets crusted up. (I know, nice visual).
Also, after they have been washed I assemble them so they're ready to go when I need them. At night I put two microfiber cloth inserts to make sure they are extra absorbent and have one extra assembled diaper in case I have to change him in the middle of the night. In the beginning of my trial with cloth diapers, I found that I wasn't adjusting the diapers tight enough and had many leaks. It's a learning process but once you get the hang of it it's super easy and convenient.
I have even gotten brave enough to leave the house with cloth diapers in my diaper bag to change while I'm out and about. I did NOT, however, take them with us for our trip during the holidays since I didn't want to do laundry while we were away. Again, it's still less disposable diapers than if I hadn't started cloth diapers at all.
I think I'll buy another wet bag to keep in my diaper bag so I can use less plastic bags. And I might just buy a few more cloth diapers so I can go an extra day without doing laundry.
What didn't work:
I took a stab at the cloth wipes, but found them to be more of a pain in the ass because they're not easy to clean unless you get your hands all over them, so I just eliminated that out of the equation. Less stress makes it more enjoyable and more likely that I'll continue to do this. Yes, I'm creating waste with disposable wipes, but it's much less than what I would have made with disposable diapers.
So there's the good and the bad so far in my cloth diapering journey. I'll write another post once the baby starts solids. Something I'd like to delay as long as possible since I don't want to think about those poops.
Thanks for reading!
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