Simplicity: Greening the Pages

It struck me today as I was writing my earlier post about how much I have to talk about- man my post was long, but I fear the next few aren't going to be short on words either.  So that being said grab a cup of joe - have I got a story for you.

So like most families we are trying to do our best to be a bit more environmentally responsible and in doing so being more fiscally responsible as well.  Instead of a long narrative (don't worry that will still come) I'm going to make a list of all the things we are doing, here we go!

• cloth/reusable grocery bags
  
• cloth wipes for the kids in the bathroom 
  
• skoy clothes in the kitchen instead of paper towels
  
• cloth towels in kitchen
  
• cloth napkins
  
• cloth diapers for penny (and wipes)
  
• recycle all plastics, metals, papers, magazines, etc.
  
• gardening in the summer and freezing and canning produce for year round use
  
• making homemade foods instead of prepackaged goods
  
• reusable cloth bags for kids and ryan's lunch pails (sandwich and snack bags)
  
• reusable snack and drink containers instead of individual wrapped packaged snacks
  
• greener cleaning supplies (green company products as well as the old standby's - vinegar/baking soda)
  
• installed sprinkler system around garden to limit water waste
  
• mulch lawn clippings
  
• turn off sinks when brushing teeth 
  
• installed low-flow toliets replacing the original 5 gallon guzzlers
  
• all appliances that we have replaced have been energy star rated 
  
• being more concise with my errands, limiting when I leave the house to when I HAVE to leave the house and consolidating trips to those days
  
• steam cleaning my floors instead of using chemical based products
  
• using less plastics to store things in and serve things on
  
• minimizing microwave use
  
• eating more organic goods, cooking from scratch and putting more natural products in my own and families bodies (this is a whole other post!)
  
• replacing the typical lightbulb - with those low voltage corkscrew ones
• I've instituted the "one" rule, in the morning we all start with one dish, cup, silverware - I wash them and air dry them throughout the day as needed, that way I'm not filling my dishwasher up everyday and running it every night.  

To elaborate on a few of these items - first off the cloth grocery sacks are clearly one of the easiest things you can do - their cheap, hell even Aldi has them and they hold a TON of groceries.  Keep them in your trunk so you never forget them.  I want to say thank you to Brooke for introducing me to Skoy clothes - these cheap little gems work like magic in a kitchen/bath.  You use them, nuke them for a minute at the end of the day and their clean!  Then after four or five months downgrade them from kitchen use to bathroom use and so on.  They are $6 for four and dry quickly and you just pop them in the washer and dryer after a few uses.  Magic!  I have also fallen in love with vinegar for my dishwasher - my dishes get clean, shiny and no toxins!  

I have been cloth diapering Penny since she was about 6 months old and when I decided to make that jump, I jumped on cloth wipes as well.  I have a variety of diapers but my favorites are by far bumgenius, they are so user friendly and super absorbant.  They also are so trim that they don't bulk up under clothes like of the cloth diapers do.  As far as the wipes - I found out about those through my friend Betsy - quilters nappies on hyena cart. We use them not only for Penny, but for the boys (and me) in the bathroom - no more details than that! But, I wash them with my diapers and wha-la back in use.

I love my happy sacks - I have them for each of the kids and Ryan, no more baggies, no more plastic.  They come in adorable prints and they are extremely affordable - the kids love them and they wash like a dream in the washer at the end of the week.  I loved gardening this summer, I loved canning, I love eating my tomatoes in December!  I look forward to expanding my garden this summer and really expanding the items I can so I don't run out!  

I used to think it was a bit quirky when I would go to my girlfriend Jill's house and she would have like four or five garbage cans in her kitchen and she would recycle everything.  My husband now calls me "My Furor" because I am a recycling nazi.  I have to say that it has become an obsession, but the best news is that my family of five usually puts out three tall kitchen bags of garbage a week.  I am convinced that if I start composting, I can get us down to two - isn't that exciting!  

I could go on, but some of my items I believe will transcend into my next couple of posts so I'll pause here.

So while my list above may not seem like a phenomenal, but its a start. There are a few more things that I want to implement this spring and summer, for instance:

• composting
  
• expanding my garden (we just ate our last canned veggies - if we were squirrels we'd be screwed)
  
• water cistern (rainwater collection) to limit use of outdoor hoses
  
• figuring out a better way to store and charge electronics when not in use

So while we we're trying to do our part everyday I discover some new way to make us better.  I am trying to not only improve myself, my family, but also to teach my children to be more responsible, so as they grow they can do even bigger and better things that will help shape our world.

Thanks again for checking in - I'm not sure what's next - cooking better at home?