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…

Related Books:

From Diapers to Dating: A Parent's Guide to Raising Sexually Healthy Children

The Diaper-Free Baby: The Natural Toilet Training Alternative

No More Diapers for Ducky!

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…

Related Books:

Principles of Biodynamic Spray And Compost Preparations

Real Simple: Cleaning

Compost Stew: An A to Z Recipe for the Earth

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…

Related Books:

Planning a weekly menu (Health skills for life)

Rush Hour Cook Presents Weekly Wonders Weekly Menus Complete With Grocery Lists for Todays Busy Family

Dinner Plans 2007: Weekly Menus, Weekly Grocery Lists, Daily Dinner Plans

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…

Related Books:

The Brain That Changes Itself: Stories of Personal Triumph from the Frontiers of Brain Science (James H. Silberman Books)

The environmental question: how green can we get. (nonwoven fabrics and disposable products) (includes related article on Advertising Age/Gallup poll survey ... An article from: Nonwovens Industry

Guinness World Records 2010

photo credit: lululemon athletica

If I had a basic family goal, it would simply be to live greener. But what exactly does that mean? Breaking it down into chunks I want to live more naturally, to live simpler, to live more sustainable. Can I break those goals down even more? Sure. I want to garden, to have more homemade than store bought, to want less, to smile more, to be happier with what I have.

I could keep going, breaking it down smaller and smaller, crafting out a real agenda for what I want from this life. But I haven’t. Because for some reason, in my head just saying “greener” was good enough. It isn’t.

If you want to get something out of life you have to know what it is that you want, you have to set goals. Small goals and big goals, goals for today, goals for next year, goals for fifty years from now. I need to focus on my goals. Read more…

Related Books:

The importance of understanding the goals of the family.(case of bedtime routine in family with autistic child): An article from: Journal of Positive Behavior Interventions

The Magic Lamp: Goal Setting for People Who Hate Setting Goals

End of the road for Mars: Mark Begelman's lofty goal of creating the biggest music retailer ended abruptly in bankruptcy court with a liquidation order. ... Update).: An article from: Music Trades

photo credit: sciondriver

Imagine this scenario:

You are at the grocery store picking up something for dinner. Suddenly a store clerk comes along, empties the shelves of their food, and tosses the packages into the trash. Then proceeds to refill the shelves with new boxes and cans. You look over to see a huge garbage can filled with boxes, bags, and wrapped packages of food, food that is now going to rot in a dump somewhere.

What would you do? Read more…

Related Books:

Empire of Scrounge: Inside the Urban Underground of Dumpster Diving, Trash Picking, and Street Scavenging (Alternative Criminology)

Where Does the Garbage Go?: Revised Edition (Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science 2)

Garbage Trucks (Pull Ahead Books)

photo credit: gina pina

In only three weeks Yule and Christmas will be here, and this year I plan to continue last year’s work and make as many homemade gifts as possible. Most people who plan this get started early, and by now would be close to done. But not me, I don’t even think about it until after the turkey has been served. Which means the next three weeks will be full of sewing, melting, mixing, and knitting to get things done.

My plan is to take pictures and share my craftfest here. Both to share the fun of homemade gifts and to keep myself motivated to do it instead of running to the nearest store. I’ve got a well-stocked craft supply area, but a long list of people to make gifts for. And only three weeks to do it. Yikes!

My plans so far are Read more…

Related Books:

A Virgin River Christmas

The Craft of Intelligence: America's Legendary Spy Master on the Fundamentals of Intelligence Gathering for a Free World

The Christmas Sweater

photo credit: Birgitta Seegers

When I think about the future there are always three images in my mind.

The first is moving out west, to Washington or Oregon, and buying a nice piece of land out there. I know several families who live out there and I can see myself getting along well with the general eco-friendly politics of the area. Except for the winters we could be quite happy out there.

The next is moving up to Canada. Most homesteading websites have ads for plots of land that are incredibly cheap. We could buy a few acres for less than the cost of buying a new car. And many of the Canadian politics I’m in favor of. But then that winter thing comes up again.

The last scenario, and most expensive, is taking off to Costa Rica. Warm tropical beaches, lush rainforest, and a generally atmosphere and relaxation. After a few people I know online moved down there with their kids I became overwhelmed with the idea of visiting at least. Hopefully making a more permanent move someday. That is, if it weren’t so darn expensive to move there. Read more…

Related Books:

Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book (Better Homes & Gardens Plaid)

Taste of Home Comfort Food Diet Cookbook

Moon Costa Rica (Moon Handbooks)

photo credit: AJoelle_xo

If anyone ever wants to practice simplicity they only need to move to a new house. Half way through packing they will be overcome with the desire to give away as much as possible so as not to need to take it with them.

This weekend we moved. In the process I managed to rid myself of a few dozen pieces of furniture, bags of clothes, knick-knacks, scrapbooking supplies, and various other things taking up space. I would like to take a moment to send my love towards the person/people who created Freecycle. Finding a new home for all my stuff always feels better than taking it to the dumpsters. Read more…

Related Books:

Freedom of Simplicity: Finding Harmony in a Complex World

Becoming a Woman of Simplicity: "I am afraid that, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds will be led astray from the simplicity and ... Corinthians 11:3 (Becoming a Woman of . . .)

Simplicity Parenting: Using the Extraordinary Power of Less to Raise Calmer, Happier, and More Secure Kids

photo credit: nicksarebi

When I read Amber’s Manifesto for her life I loved it. I loved it so much I wanted to writing something similar for myself, something I could hold out and point to when I needed a reminder of who I am. A list of the things that shape me.

This is my list. Read more…

Related Books:

SHED Your Stuff, Change Your Life: A Four-Step Guide to Getting Unstuck

Journal Revolution Rise Up and Create! Art Journals,Personal Manifestos and Other Artistic Insurections

THE COMMUNAL CATHOLIC: A PERSONAL MANIFESTO