Happy Earth Day!
It ain't easy being green, but the Krost family sure tries.
Here are three ways we try to shrink our footprint on the planet:
1. Cloth diapers
This one's a biggie. It takes a lot of commitment, but once you find a system that works for you, your baby, and your washing machine, it's no big deal. These are the three types of diapers we use in heavy rotation:
gDiapers (http://www.gdiapers.com)
We like these because they can be used with flushable/compostable/disposable liners or cloth inserts.
Very little in my cleaning closet, laundry room, or bathroom would hurt my kids or pet if it was ingested. Most of it is inexpensive or comparably priced to what you might find in your local grocery store. And none of these products has hormone disrupters or toxic/carcinogenic chemicals which could cause long-term harm to the people I love, or the plants and animals that come into contact with our waste water.
Fuzzibuns (http://fuzzibunz.com)
We use the one-size pocket diapers with snaps. These diapers will work from birth until potty training!
We use the size 2 duo covers with aplix with cloth inserts or prefolds.
Honestly, if I can handle this, you can handle this. If you are interested in cloth diapering, contact me! I am happy to share our testimonial. And honestly, is there anything cuter than a cloth diapered bottom?
2. Safe, non-toxic, biodegradable cleaning and personal products
We use a lot of detergent because of the cloth diapers. Have you looked at the ingredient list of your detergents, cleaning, and personal care supplies lately? Yuck! Scary!
We use a vinegar and water (with a little tea tree oil and lavender) solution for everyday cleaning. We use washable microfiber cloths as well.
To clean our diapers and the rest of our laundry we use Charlie's Soap (http://www.charliesoap.com) and Biokleen Bac Out (http://biokleenhome.com/products/household/General).
We try to use Acure (http://www.acureorganics.com), Ava Anderson (http://www.avaandersonnontoxic.com), and natural homemade alternatives on our hair and skin. We avoid products with anything on this list:
3. Reusable lunch wraps and grocery bags
I purchased two sets of these Earth Swag sandwich wraps and snack baggies (http://ptpa.com/product/earth-swag-sandwich-wrapplacemat-and-snack-bag/) a few years ago and they're still going strong! Use them, shake out the crumbs, and toss them in the wash. The sandwich wraps double as a placemat, which helps contain messes (and germs!).
I have a stash of reusable grocery bags in my trunk at all times, and they're great for many, many reasons. I use them on my weekly grocery shopping runs. I've even started using small reusable sacks for produce, so I don't have to use the store's plastic bags for each item. Just don't forget to throw them in the wash occasionally.
Every little bit helps! What does your family do to help save the planet?
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