New Greener Family

photo credit: tiffanywashko

Cloth diapers have been the only choice mothers have had for centuries. With the arrival of the disposable diaper in 1940, parenting was turned on its head. Parents were freed from the constant need to wash and dry diapers ever day, instead they could simply toss out a used diaper and put on a fresh cleaning one. However, many parents are now returning to cloth diapers for environmental and health issues. Are cloth diapers really better than the disposable ones?

The average child will go through almost 6,000 diapers in their lifetime. That is a lot of dirty diapers, all of which will eventually find their way into a landfill. These diapers can take up to 500 years to fully decompose, slowly leaking chemicals into the ground as they do so. Cloth diapers, however, are washed and reused several times before being retired. Less trash and fewer chemicals making their way into the world is always a good thing. Read more…

photo credit: kafka4prez

I have a small, ceramic, kitchen scrap bin that I use for collecting compost material. Normally I dump it out every evening and wash it out. This system has worked great, up until now. Suddenly there are gnats flying all over the kitchen.

Since the Mr. isn’t the compost and gardening type, he’s suggesting that i ditch the whole thing. He was willing to put up with it until now, but bugs in the house crosses a line for him. For me too, but I’m certain there is a way to keep kitchen compost scraps without gnats or other bugs. There has to be a way, because no one else is talking about the little flying things in their houses. Read more…

photo credit: Fergus Randall

I missed posting my menu last Sunday, but that’s not something I plan to do this week. I’m looking forward to trying some new recipes this week, stepping out of my comfort zone to try some hopefully exciting flavors.

Vegetables are hard to come by cheap right now. I keep hoping to find a good greenhouse near me that is selling, but so far no luck. Instead I’m skipping some of my favorite outside treats to afford a few extra vegetables. I also skipped the fresh fruit for bags of frozen. Not as delicious, but much cheaper. Here’s what I’m making for dinner this week: Read more…

Yesterday I opened a box to pull out a new Blackberry of my very own. On the outside, not a very green thing to do. But you see, my phone is different.

I’m the newest member of the Credo nation, a phone service that donates to various green and progressive causes. They plant trees, use soy based ink, and helps offset Carbon usage. They also sent me a sweet Solio solar powered charger for my phone. Yep, my phone is solar powered and that makes me happy. Read more…

photo credit: Samuel Mann

What if everyone vowed to do just ten green things this year. Big or small, simple or hard, once or repeated. Just made a list of ten things and began checking them off. Even if it took all year, even if the list didn’t get finished, there would still be a lot of good done.

I keep thinking about the things that I’m doing, and the things that I want to do. I’ve given up store bought shampoo for the no-poo method, but I still buy soap from the store. What if I switched to buying handmade soap from someone locally? What if I learned to make it myself? I’m making my own bread, but there are still a lot of boxes of food in my shelves that I could be making at home. Sure I recycle, but what if I didn’t buy the stuff to begin with? It feels as if there’s always something more to do. And honestly, it’s that feeling that sometimes stops me in my tracks. Read more…

I finally got around to using my bread machine, but I think I did something wrong.

The recipe book that was in the machine listed each recipe in 3 sizes: small, medium, and large. I wasn’t sure which size my machine was so I choose medium. I think I should have went with small. I was able to cut one slice in half and use it for a decent size sandwich. Despite the size, it was delicious. It was wonderful coming home from below freezing temperatures to a house smelling like bread. Once I added homemade butter it was to die for. Read more…

photo credit: BBJ-

I am obviously not a normal woman.

For Christmas I received a gorgeous silver ring set, sparkly and new, that would be the dream gift for most women I know. Me? I’m moping that I didn’t get the blender I had hoped for. Yes, a blender. Read more…

photo credit: Thomas Ott

I was reading on the Huffington Post over the weekend and stumbled upon this article by Dr. John Salerno: Why I Recommend Organic Foods To My Weight Loss Patients.

I recommend organic foods for my weight loss patients because I want them to eat nutrient dense foods, thus you have to begin with the dirt. The overuse of pesticides, herbicides, and other chemical additives for the growth of monoculture genetically modified crops, including corn, soy, rice, canola, and others have wreaked havoc with the soil.

My initial reaction was that this doctor was clearly crazy. I just could not see a connection between organicly grown foods and losing weight. But as I began to read more i started to see his point. Read more…

photo credit: kevygee

I have decided to join the Mindful Menus over at Chive Talkin’. It’s a once a week meme where participants share their healthy meal menus for the week. Better eating through peer pressure and group participation.And there is a challenge for everyone to join in.

I generally print my menus off from E-Mealz each week and roughly follow them. Some days we skip, or change things based on what we have and my family’s picky tastes. Here is what we are enjoying for dinner this week Read more…

I was a very good girl this year, Santa brought me The Backyard Homestead,
Great Yarns for the Close-Knit Family, and Made from Scratch: Discovering the Pleasures of a Handmade Life. I closed my eyes and pointed at random to which one I would read first, which happened to be Made From Scratch. I’m a fee chapters in and already loving this book. Woginrich is a hilarious writer, and open about her failures as much as her triumphs. Something that I’m thrilled to read after reading too many books by perfect people.

I’s good for my ego to know that someone else manages to mess up often enough. Read more…