Going Green

I love the going green movement. I think it is a fabulous thing to do. When you start living green you can save the environment, save money, and live better too. All those toxic chemicals and bad things for you can be avoided.

My babies got the green treatment. I did the whole cloth diapering thing with my boys when they were younger and I loved it! It was better for the environment and I was saving money in the long run. I also breastfed all my babies and this saved me money, was less waste, and in my opinion is a lot healthier and more natural for the baby than formula. I also loved making them homemade baby food with my baby food grinder when they were old enough to eat it.

Speaking of eating, if you can organic is definitely the way to go. It is so much better for you and doesn't have all the toxic chemicals that might come from eating processed or non-organic (pesticide laden) foods. It might be a bit more expensive, but it might save doctor bills in the future.

I also love things made of natural materials. Clothing made of natural material seem to breath better and feel better on my skin to me. I love 100% organic cotton. Industrial hemp is also one of my favorites because of the many things it can be made into. Industrial Hemp has natural anti-fungal and antibacterial properties which makes it a great fabric for cloth diapers and other things.

*I also use compact fluorescent lamp (CFL) light bulbs in my house because they save me money by lasting longer and using less energy than incandescent bulbs.

My favorite website for reducing, reusing, and recycling is Freecycle. They help prevent things from going to the landfills everyday. On Freecycle everything is free, minus the gas to go pick it up! You can get rid of all kinds of stuff you don't want to people that do by offering it up on your local Freecycle site. You can also get some neat things too by either asking for it and seeing if someone would give one up for free or waiting until someone lists something cool you want. While we were living in Florida we got a really awesome and totally free sand & water table for our blind daughter, Tatiana, for her sensory learning. We also got rid of a whole bunch of stuff on their when we moved.

Clean green too - Replace harmful household cleaners containing bleach and chlorine with cheaper, non-toxic alternatives like baking soda, borax soap and vinegar. Create all-purpose cleaners by mixing together everyday items in your kitchen. Mix together 2 cups white distilled vinegar, 2 cups water and 20-30 drops of essential oils to clean hard surfaces like countertops, kitchen floors, windows and mirrors. Also there is this great product called SoapNuts which are sold at Green Virgin Products. They are great for cleaning your laundry and 100% natural.

*2013 Update: I no longer use compact fluorescent lamp (CFL) light bulbs because they contain mercury and are a toxic hazard if they break because it leaks out. Instead I use Light-Emitting Diode (LED) bulbs because they are better for the environment, use less energy, and are getting more cost effective over time. With the phase out of incandescent bulbs because they no longer meet federal energy-efficiency standards LED bulbs are the best way to go.

I have only listed a few ways of going green here. There are a lot more ways to help the environment and ourselves. I am sure you can think of others, but this list might get you: thinking and started on the path.