Going Green!

Ever since I was little I've been concerned about the environment. When I was in sixth grade the neighborhood kids and I started a recycling club called the Dynamic Dinos that collected recycling from the neighbors. I even made a little newsletter for the neighborhood! Well this time I'm not collecting recycling from the neighbors, I've decided to start at home. I had a period where I was up late with Isabelle and couldn't fall asleep so I was watching some green shows on HGTV. At the time Alekisio was still in diapers, although he was potty trained I was afraid to leave the house without one. The shows combined with the amount of diapers we were throwing away made me feel guilty. I decided we were going to do our part to help save our planet, well as much as we can with a gas guzzling SUV. Here's what we're doing.

1. I bought some CFLs for our lights, I haven't replaced them all yet though.
2. We don't have curbside recycling so I collect everything we have and drop it off at the big containers they have at the local schools.
here's alekisio throwing the plastics in the container, he has really good aim
3. I try to unplug things that charge when they don't need to be. Like my laptop, even if I'm not using it and it's plugged in the little glowing lights are consuming energy.
4. Just by coincidence our toilet got clogged and we got a low flow to replace it.
5. I've replaced my laundry soap with Charlie's Soap. It's all natural and is better for your clothes than tide or wisk. It's cheap too, you should look it up.
6. I've also looked up natural cleaning supplies. Not only is it better for the environment but I won't have to worry about Alekisio helping me clean anymore.
7. We switched to cloth diapers.

I know you're having flashes of me wringing out diapers in the toilet. I remember my mom doing that and if I had to do that there's no way I would have switched. Diapers were the first thing I changed. I did ALOT of research before I did it too. I bought Bumgenius diapers that have a pocket and microfiber inserts. They grow with the baby too. They close with velcro in the front just like a regular diaper. When they're dirty you take out the insert put the whole diaper in a waterproof zip up nylon bag and wash them every other day. You don't ever have to hand wash anything. I was terrified to put the first diaper on her because I didn't know what to expect but I find them as easy as disposables. The best part is that I initially spent about $250 for twelve diapers and the nylon bags (one for the diaper bag) and I never have to buy diapers again. I figured if I was to buy one box of costco diapers a month until she's 2 1/2 I'll be saving about $1,000. You should try them out!! Oh and I haven't had one leak, I don't even have to change them in the middle of the night when she's sleeping! Here's food for thought, a disposable takes 500 years to break down, so every diaper ever used is still in a landfill. Gross.

here's Isabelle in her pink diaper, aren't they cute? check out http://www.bumgenius.com/

Aisea thought I was weird, as he does frequently, when I first told him what we were going to do. I had loaded some recycling in the car and was so excited to take it. The day I went it was raining so I decided to wait. In the meantime he cleaned the car and threw it all away. When he saw how upset I was he must have realized I was really serious because this morning the empty milk carton was on the recycling bag, not rinsed out, but I'm not going to push my luck! It put a smile on my face!