CTWW – Water Usage

This week’s Change the World Wednesday was:

This week, consider your water footprint, particularly your indirect water use. Begin my using the calculators at the bottom of this PAGE (I found the extended calculator to be the best). If you need to convert measurements of food, here's a TOOL. Once you've calculated your water footprint, take a look at the results and see if there's an area which could be reduced. For example, if your primary water use is associated to cereals/grains, opt for varieties which require less water to produce (barley uses less water than rice). Reduce the amount of sugar you use (it takes 1,500 liters of water to produce 1 kilo of white sugar). Opt for fruits & veggies rather than meat (a kilo of beef requires 15,500 liters of water to create) ... or opt for pork or chicken (4,800 and 3,900 liters respectively). Drink tea instead of coffee, saving 110 liters of water per cup. Drive less (gasoline takes a lot of water). Buy less stuff (everything requires water to produce and transport). While reducing our direct water consumption is absolutely encouraged, this challenge is all about looking at the indirect water we use.

When I think of water usage, I think of water that I use on purpose..such as taking a shower, doing the dishes, using our pool, etc.  What I have never thought of before is the indirect water usage.  Huh?  What’s that you say?   That’s right, it’s not something most of us have ever thought of. Indirect water usage is water used for things that we do or things that we buy.  Such as, how much water is used to produce the Easter candy I’ve been munching on.  Say what?  Yeah..you never thought about the use of water in producing food or items.  Although, maybe you have. I know I never have.

According to Reduce Footprints, it takes 1,500 liters of water to produce 1 kilo of white sugar. I probably ate enough candy yesterday to equal 1 kilo of white sugar.   It also takes more water to raise beef (ie: cows) and of course meet in general, when compared to fruits and vegetables.  We all know that fruits and veggies are healthier for us too.

While I did not take this past week to work on this challenge, since I just had a chance to read about it and look in to it on Monday, it does give me food for thought.  It’s something that makes me stop and say..hmmmmm.  Water I use at home is easier to control because I can see it, I can see the waste.  The indirect water usage I don’t. 

I’m trying to focus on eating healthier, cutting out soft drinks and sweets/chips.  Knowing this causes more waste of water, it’s just one more thing to tell myself when I try to talk myself out of the unhealthy stuff and try to focus on eating better.  Better for me = better for the environment.

CTWW - Local produce all year round

This week's Change the World Wednesday, hosted by Reduce Footprints is:

Last August, CelloMom suggested that we find a way to eat local produce throughout the winter months (you can read that challenge HERE). Now that we're moving into spring, it's the perfect time to come up with a strategy to ensure that we'll have local fruits and veggies next winter. Here you go ...

This week develop a strategy which will ensure that you and your family enjoy local produce next winter. Need some suggestions? Plan a garden with preserving in mind. Consider freezing, drying, canning, etc. and start gathering the items/tools you'll need to accomplish it (don't forget to check thrift stores, Freecycle, etc. for things like canning jars, dehydrators, and other items you might need). Visit your farmer's market and learn about the items which they'll have available and when they will arrive for purchase. If you are a member of a CSA, talk to the farmer about your goals and see how he/she can help. This week is all about planning with the goal of having local produce on your plate next winter.

This is a tough one for us.   Mostly because I admit to being rather lazy.  I'm just so tired! haha!    However, we have some things in place to try and do this, things we started last spring.

I've mentioned a couple of times we have a blackberry bush.  Well, we still have a TON of frozen blackberries in our freezer!  We mostly just use them for smoothies during the winter months.  I've slacked with my smoothies but getting back in to the habit of making one every morning.  So this saved us from having to buy a lot of frozen blackberries.

We had a small garden this past summer and plan to do the same thing this year, but we can't produce enough to keep us through the winter.  We just don't have a good spot in our yard that's bigger.  Our yard isn't fenced (very few are and the neighbors kinda frown on it) so we need to stay close to our house and with the pool it's not easy to do.  Plus we have a huge deer problem so we have to build around it to keep the deer out, which can be an eye-sore and frowned upon.  So, we'll do what we can to keep us in fresh food during the summer but won't have enough for all winter.    Baby steps though, right?

What I do love, however, is that a produce store opened up very close to us.  They try to buy local as often as they can, but that's hard in the winter months.  I stopped in once, they just opened this month, and think I'll frequent it often.  They didn't have a ton of organic but said they are planning to start increasing what they do offer in terms of being organic since people keep asking.  They also said that they buy local as much as possible, so May through September I'll be able to get local items.  Fingers crossed this works out!

CTWW – Body Soap Review

Here is the current challenge from Reduce Footprints:

This week review the body soap you are currently using. Please include such information as how the product performs, how it was packaged and the ingredients. Perhaps do a little research on the ingredients to determine if they are all environmentally and personally safe. You may include the name of the soap or not ... your choice. You may also post your review on any platform, including a comment here. The idea is for us to take an honest look at the soap we're using and share information so that we all learn

I’ll admit that I’m currently not using anything fancy or super organic for my body wash. You know why? Pure laziness.  Yup.  That’s it.  With my PPD issues and adjusting to life as a new Mom I’ve found that some things have slipped through the cracks. Taking care of my body (aside from the workouts) in terms of eating and what products I use has taken 100 steps in the wrong direction.

My current body wash/soap is Ivory with Aloe, because I think it’s a decent brand and it’s easy to buy at the store when I go for R’s formula.

Here are the current ingredients in my body wash:
Water/Eau, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Sodium Sulfate, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Fragrance/Parfum, Citric Acid, Sodium Benzoate, Disodium EDTA, Methylchloroisothiazolinone, Methylisothiazolinone, Styrene/Acrylates Copolymer.

Now that I look at it, several of those products are on the harmful list.  Such as the Sodium Laureth/Lauryl Sulfates.   I understand those are both for lather and I have also read we don’t need lather, we just think we do. I fall for that myself.  

I will admit that I was using bar soap but it was hard to shave with it and that’s when I switched back to body wash.   I think what I need to do is just look at the other “natural” products available where I shop and find something that is convenient for me to purchase but doesn’t contact harmful products.
I admit I do like the body wash, I think it gets me clean.  This is super important due to the running, nobody wants to smell me after that’s done! haha!  It doesn’t, however, get all the chlorine smell off my body after a pool workout.  However I think that’s the case with most body washes. 

CCTW - Six Ingredient Challenge

Here is this week's challenge, or last week's challenge, I'm always a week behind it seems.


I've read a lot recently about a Six Ingredient Challenge. This clever idea was designed to encourage people to eat more whole foods. The thought is that if there are no more than 6 ingredients on the label, the food is pretty close to being as nature intended it. Why are whole foods better for the environment? Because processing creates large amounts of carbon dioxide. Since we just used up everything in our pantries and are probably ready to restock, I thought it would be a perfect challenge for this week. Here you go ...

This week, buy only foods with 6 or fewer ingredients. Here's a tip ... shop the perimeter of the store rather than the center isles ... you'll find more options. Want to kick this challenge up even further? Be sure that high fructose corn syrup and hydrogenated oils aren't in the food you choose ... they are really "bad for you" substances. And if you have access to the information, choose non-GMO foods.

I'm really bad about this.  I attempt to and then don't.  Attempt to read the labels that is. I think because it's so hard and confusing.  I tend to not buy very much processed foods, so that's good.  We make a lot of dinners from scratch and I bake from scratch.  We did set out to buy graham crackers for R over the weekend, that was interesting. I was going to get the store brand and it had high fructose corn syrup in it, but one of the name brands didn't, so I paid more for the name brand. My guess is that it was hidden in there just with a different title though. ha!   I also wouldn't have thought to give R graham crackers but the daycare lady has tried it and R likes it. She appears to be a picky eater so we're going to go with it.  Unfortunately, she takes after me in the eating department it seems.

Oh..and I will also mention that so far we have made all of R's food. Except the yogurt and the baby oatmeal she started out on.  I've made sure that stuff is all organic though.   I like making her food because I know EXACTLY what it is in. It's veggies, fruits, and water. That's it. 

CTWW – Half Term Challenge

It’s time for Change the World Wednesday hosted by Reduce Footprints.

This Week's Challenge:
In June of 2012 we joined Mrs. Green in her "Use It Up" challenge. It's one of those activities which bears repeating from time to time because food has a sneaky way of accumulating in our homes. More importantly, food waste is at an all time high ... it's bad for our finances and bad for the environment. So, Mrs. Green is doing a Half Term Challenge and we're invited to join her. Here you go ...

1. Take a look through your fruit, vegetables and fresh items in the fridge to see what needs using up. Write it all down – it’s easier to keep track that way.
2. Plan some of your favorite meals around the foods that need using up.
3. If you need inspiration, write your food list on Mrs. Green's post (you'll find it HERE) and her community will help or ... check out the recipes section at Love Food Hate Waste.
4. Enjoy some great meals, knowing you are saving money and protecting resources.

Are you ready to tackle this one? I know that you are!
Until next time ...
WE'RE CHANGING THE WORLD ... ONE CHALLENGE AT A TIME!

*******************************************************

What will I do for this challenge you ask?  Well, I’ll tell you. Not too much. haha!   We are in the habit of only buying as many veggies as we need for meals and fruit that we’ll eat in a week.  Therefore barely any of it goes to waste anyway. So if I was to do this challenge I wouldn’t find any veggies or fruit.  I think it’s a great idea, just not one I can partake in.  How about you thought?

CTWW - Fracking

This week's Change the World Wednesday is about fracking.  Not sure what fracking is? Neither was I. Luckily Reduce Footprints includes a link to more information.


This Week's Challenge:

One of my GOALS for 2013 is to increase the impact of our challenges by applying a bit of political pressure. This challenge is about FRACKING, a dangerous method of extracting oil and natural gas from shale rock. 

Please note: I believe that signing petitions and/or contacting our public officials is a private matter so, for any political pressure challenges we take on, I won't be doing a commentary the following week. I am happy to include any posts you write in our re-cap as well as any comments, tweets, etc. but I won't be expressing my thoughts about them ... I'll simply list them for others to read. Sound good? Here you go ...

This week, sign NRDC's letter to President Obama asking him to protect us from dangerous fracking. You'll find it HERE. This letter is appropriate for everyone and can be signed by people worldwide. However, if fracking takes place in your country and you'd rather contact your officials, the following information may help:

Fracking by Country
Fracking in the UK
Fracking in Canada
Fracking in Denmark
Fracking in Ireland

Or ...

If you'd rather not sign an online letter/petition, please contact your local officials about fracking and let them know how you feel. If fracking isn't an issue in your area, consider contacting your officials regarding an issue which concerns you about the environment.

 

 

AS for me, well, I need to read more about it before I sign anything. I think things like this are important but I rarely feel educated enough to actually do something about it.  I mostly wanted to post this to get back in the game with CTWW and to share with my readers so that some of you who know more than me might take action, if you see fit. 

Chang the World Wednesday - Zero Waste

The challenge for the next couple of weeks is all about going to zero waste instead of just reducing your carbon footprint.    You can read more about it at Reduce Footprints.

For this challenge, please consider all the ways in which you can achieve a zero impact. For example, reducing paper towel use is going green ... not using them at all is zero impact. Driving less is going green ... not driving at all and walking instead is zero impact. Adjusting your thermostat for the season is going green ... not turning it on at all is zero impact. The idea is to search out those changes which will, in terms of that particular action, eliminate your impact on the earth. Once you've identified the activity, try it out and see if you can maintain the zero impact through the end of the month. And, of course, we want to hear all about it.

Or ...

If you don't feel that you can achieve a zero impact on any of your activities, then please find at least one area where you can reduce your impact significantly. And yep, we want to hear all about it.

That's hard folks!  Do you think you could do it? I'm not sure I can.  I tried to start reducing the amount of paper towels and napkins we use.  I normally grab a rag and we use cloth for napkins. Actually, what's funny is that for napkins we use dish clothes my Mom knitted me. I don't use them to wash the dishes with, I use a sponge, so I just grabbed one to wipe my hands one day and really liked it.  Anyway, what I was going to say was that while I don't normally use paper in the kitchen lately I have been.   My dog was very ill, to the point that she had 2 surgeries and was rushed to the hospital 3 times.  We had some messes to clean up on the floor. While we use cloth to wipe up any normal "accidents" we used the paper towels to clean up the blood and horrible vomit.    When we have people over for dinner, we end up using paper napkins instead of cloth. However I think that is because we don't have enough cloth to go around.

As far as other things.  For the most part we get eggs from a person who raises them in their backyard.  So we aren't buying them from the store and getting egg cartons.  However I can't even say that is zero waste because every once in awhile I do run out of eggs and have to get some at the store because I don't have time to wait for this person to get me some (it takes a couple of days usually). 

I'm working on making even more of my own cleaning supplies, however there is still waste involved because I have to buy some supplies still.

I live too far from where I work to get around using a car (it's 25 miles one way). 

I use cloth diapers for R, however not at night.  So we aren't even zero waste as far as diapers go.

I'm going to keep checking though!  I'll be more vigilant the rest of this week and next to see if there are ways our household could go zero waste.

CTWW - Moving in to Fall

I didn't get in a post from the previous week but I'm glad to be back for Reduce Footprints Change the World Wednesday.


This week, if you are moving into Autumn, choose one task from this LIST and accomplish it. Of course, we'd like to hear all about it.

Or ...

If you are moving into Spring, choose a task from this POST. Again, we'd like to know what you chose to do and how you did it.

Or ...

If none of those activities appeal to you, choose a previous challenge from the list HERE. And yep ... tell us about it!

One of the tips suggests we open blinds during the day and close at night. I would love to do that. Only Husband refuses to close them at night.  So yeah.  When I'm walking around at night with nothing on because I'm getting ready to pump or if it's dark out and I'm nursing...the neighbors can see everything.  Oh well.  I'm nursing...I'm used to flashing people at this point.

There are a lot of really great tips on that list and I'm happy to report that I already do most of them.  Yay!

I haven't ever vacuumed behind the refrigerator though.  I suppose that's one I could do.  I also have resisted switching out my closet yet. I hate putting away my summer clothes, I love warm weather.  I suppose it's time though.

Sorry..not a lot from me this week. It's been one of those weeks.....

CTWW - Plastic at the Grocery Store

This is the latest challenge from Reduce Footprints. It's a good one.  It's one that I've been struggling with myself for awhile. 

This week, pick a food item which you normally buy in a package (especially a plastic package) and find a better alternative. For example, rather than buy beans in a plastic bag, look for them in the bulk isle of the market and fill your own container. Rather than buy produce in plastic "clam shells", see if you can find them loose, without packaging. If you typically shop at a supermarket (where almost everything is packaged in plastic) consider shopping at a farmer's market, food co-op, wholesale market or organic food store for better options. The idea, here, is to find at least one "green" alternative to plastic packaging ... and, while doing without might be an appropriate alternative, we're more interested in finding the food in acceptable/no packaging for this challenge.

Or ...

If, in your area, you find it nearly impossible to buy food which isn't packaged in plastic, please speak to your market's owner/manager to see if they can offer any alternatives. Talk to neighbors and members of the community to search out options.

Or ...

If none of the above works out, please write letters to your government officials and/or start a petition asking for plastic free food packaging.

I tried to use the only farmer's market that is near my house this summer. What a waste of my time.  There were very few vendors there and the ones that sold items that we ate, the produce looked worse than it did in the store and was more expensive.   I only went a couple of times and then just stopped going.  Very frustrating as I wanted to use it all summer.

I also was very good at using my own bags/containers for bulk items, all the nuts I buy for trail mix, at two of my local stores.  However the last time I did this at both of them I was told that customers aren't allowed to anymore because of health reasons.  I was told it wasn't really the store wanting to go this route but state health regulations.  So I have to use the plastic bags they provide.    I was also told the same thing last time I tried to bring my own container for deli meat.

I'm so frustrated on both accounts!   The only good thing is that one of the stores I like that carries locally grown produce and is all organic items will be opening another store somewhat close to my house.  The only other one isn't even close to where I live but I have gone there on occasion. It's just not convenient to go there often.  However they are opening one closer to my house and I hope that when Husband is bored on the weekends I can convince him to make the trip there with the baby to get items.  So I suppose that is something.

Sorry this post seems so down. lol  I didn't intend for it to be, I suppose it's just a frustrating topic for me as I keep trying to find ways around the plastic and to eat locally and each time it seems like I run into road blocks.  I'll just have to keep looking though.

CTWW - Zero Waste

Here is this weeke's challenge at Reduce Footprints:


For this week's challenge, we're going to join Mrs. Green in (Inter)National Zero Waste Week. This year's theme is "One More Thing" and specifically targets recycling. From the Zero Waste Facebook page: "What 'one more thing' could you recycle in order to reduce your landfill waste at home?" So ... here's your challenge:

This week, consider your recycling habits and decide on one more thing which you can do to reduce landfill waste. Let us know what you're doing, and how, so that we can all learn and be inspired.

And then, if you'd like ...

Visit the (Inter)National Zero Waste Week blog page or the Facebook Page and share your efforts with everyone participating in this year's event (close to 1000 people from all over the world).

 

So the interesting thing is that I thought about this the other day.  I threw three batteries into the trash can and walked away and went..I bet I should be recycling those.

Now, first I would like to say that if I buy batteries I do buy the rechargeable ones.  However we somehow have ended up with a collection of non-chargeable batteries. I'm not sure how this happens.  So I've started using those when I need batteries just to use them up and get them out of my fridge.   Then I'll go back to being back on rechargable and knowing when I have to buy more, as we replace batteries in things.  I'm sure this will start to happen A LOT as R gets older and we end up with toys that take batteries.

So where can I recycle them?  A quick search on Google provided me with a solution.

Call2Recycle

You can do an easy search via zipcode and find stores that have their boxes where you can just drop your item in and call it a day.    The first step is done.  Now for the hard part: remember to take the batteries with me next time I'm headed to one of the stores.   

CCTW - Chemical-free and loving it

This week refuse to put chemicals on your body. Read the labels on everything which comes in contact with your skin and only use it if it's chemical free.

Or ...

If your skin is already glowing with chemical-free happiness, please share tips and ideas. Feel free to suggest products or share recipes for homemade items ... tell us about how you transitioned from toxic ingredients to healthy ones ... or share the differences you've experienced since switching over. We'd like to know about anything which will help us eliminate chemicals from our body care products.

UP THE ANTE...

Jennifer is raising the bar on this challenge and asks us to research at least one ingredient in our cosmetics. By research she means read at least two scientific studies and/or talk to several chemists/endocrinologists.

I'm a little late, but getting this in just in the nick of time.  I like this challenge at Reduce Footprints because even though I just read it today, I kinda did something for it already. 

Most of the time I have very aware and picky about what chemicals I put on my skin.  So my makeup is already 100%  toxic chemical-free, as is my face wash, etc.

What I wanted to touch on was what to do with a sunburn.  Sure, we all run to aloe vera and I'm sure that's good. Nothing wrong it with.  I have another option for you.  Coconut Oil.  I started to use coconut oil as a face moisturizer a couple of years ago.  You hardly need any and it works so freaking well.   The last time I had a sunburn I put this on because I was too lazy to get the aloe out of the hall closet.  The sunburn never hurt and cleared up super fast.

This past Thursday I went to a baseball game and was outside for several hours.  Silly me forgot sunscreen.  So I came home with a sunburn on my face, arms, legs, and chest.  The chest was the worst.  I immediatly put coconut oil on it.  I did it several times that day. I did it the next day after my shower. I did take aloe to work and after I would pump I would put it on (since I was in a private room anyway).  But at home I would put on the coconut oil.  By Sunday my legs, arms, and face were fine.  My chest was the worst but it didn't hurt at all, just super red.  Today I did notice my chest start to peel, but not bad.

I'm officially sold on coconut oil. I've had to great experiences with it in treating sunburns now.  Plus it's rather inexpensive and lasts an incredibly long time since you don't need much of it.  On a side note, when I make smoothies I also put some in there. 

CTWW - looking at our young ones

I skipped this post last week but I'm happy to be on my toes and able to join Reduce Footprints and others for this weeks challenge.  Plus, imagine my surprise when I go to google reader to check out the challenge for this week and find it was one that I suggested!  

Here it is:

This week, if you have kids, think of something which involves your children, which also creates waste or is environmentally unfriendly, and commit to changing it. For example, consider how your baby is diapered and whether or not there is a more Eco-friendly method. What types of materials does your youngster use when creating those artistic masterpieces? Does your teenager drive or walk to school ... and what about school supplies? This week is all about greening our kids.

Or ...

If you don't have children, your challenge is to be an observer and then offer recommendations. Take a look at the families around you and talk about what you see working ... and what doesn't. Offer recommendations and helpful tips to assist parents in greening their children.



These are the diaper covers we use

 As you are aware I recently expanded my family of two to a family of 3.  R is 14 weeks now and doing great!  However with a baby comes more waste.   So far we have that to a minimum and the things we are planning to do as she gets older should keep waste to a minimum.

The biggest one, and the one that gets the most obnoxious comments, was our decision to use cloth diapers.  I wanted to use cloth mainly because I feel it's the healthiest alternative for our child.  The fact that it keeps tons of diapers out of the landfill is just a benefit. haha!   If you look into this these days there are a lot of different options.  We went with an option that is more work on us but was a lot less costly.  The diapers and covers will also last us until she is potty trained and beyond.  Think 2nd child. Although that's wishful thinking on my part as Husband only wants one kid.    We used prefolds, which means those will end up as rags once they aren't diapers anymore. (On a side note - our dog has had a lot of urinary track infections lately and therefore sometimes has accidents in the house.  We have started using the prefolds to clean it up and OMG they work awesome. Best idea ever.) So it's not even that they will go to waste after the fact.  Right now the main cost to the environment is the water usage.  I have enough that I can wash them every 3rd day. That just means I'm doing a lot of laundry. You have to soak them and then wash them with extra rinse.  The diapers don't dry 100% in the dryer. However instead of running the dryer twice I just hang them up.   Oh..and no point in buying wipes when I'm going to be washing diapers.  We use cloth wipes as well. On a side note..these wipes are so freaking soft. I started keeping several with my running clothes and now I use them to wipe sweat off of my face when I run.    The wipes can later be used as rages, as dish clothes, etc. There are a lot of uses.  Oh, and we did look into use a cloth diapering service.  This would minimize waste in regards to water and power used to wash/dry the diapers.  However, we made our decision on cost. It's actually a lot less expensive for us to do it ourselves.

These are the prefolds we use

On a side note...cleaning the diapers really isn't bad. I'm planning to do a post on that in the near future.

I am also nursing as best I can.  I'm not sure how much longer I'll be able to do it but I'm making the effort. I do believe this is environmentally friendly because I'm not buying a lot of formula (we do have to substitute).  My body is making the milk and the only waste involved are the bags to freeze it.  At this point I'm making so little of it that I don't freeze it anymore, I just put it in bottles and take it to daycare for the next day.  So even that waste isn't a concern anymore.

With a baby comes stuff. Lots of toys and STUFF.  I'm happy to report about 90% of what we have was given to us used.  The majority of what was bought for us were the diapers and accessories for the cloth diapering and clothes.  R is the only girl on both sides of the family so everyone was very excited and we have a lot of clothes.



These are other inserts we use. I actually like them better
but they were more expensive so we don't have
as many.

 As R gets older I know there will be more waste involved.  We are going to try and minimize this as best we can.  We are both in agreement that we will start out making her food.  We agree that we don't want a ton of toys.  My sisters might have had all boys but there will still be a ton of toys we can take from them, especially right now (we actually already have).  We are also in agreement that we love the wooden toys and not the plastic crap from China.  So we'll try to make our preferences known for when it's birthday and Christmas time. 

I'm sure as she gets older different things will come up, this is just all I can think of for right now. 

CTWW - Looking around outside

This is the challenge that was given to us by Reduce Footprints last Wednesday:

This week take a look at your yard for toxic and/or non-environmentally-friendly materials. For example, does your garden hose contain lead? Is the pool, yard toys (slides, swings, doll houses, etc.) made of plastic? How about buckets, tools, garden pots .... or window netting for insects ... are they made of harmful plastic? Identify the materials used for the things you have in your yard and then, make plans to replace those items with Eco-friendly, safe versions. NOTE: we're not asking you to run out and replace everything in your yard ... but simply to evaluate items and replace as you can or deem fitting.

Or ...

Don't have a yard, patio, etc.? Then your challenge is to look indoors. Focus on one room and do the same ... identify any harmful, non-Eco-friendly materials and make plans to replace them. This might include paint with harmful ingredients or a plastic shower curtain. Other ideas include plastic decor, light bulbs, etc.

I thought about this one yesterday as I was outside doing some things around the yard.  I think Husband and I do pretty good.  It's not the best but it's ok.  Most of what we bought and have we did before I started to really focus on my impact on the environment.    We do have a couple things we've done since though.

We do have an inground pool.  Talk about NOT being very environmentally friendlly.  However a couple years ago we converted it to a salt water pool.  Yes you still put chemicals in it.  However of us that is just when we open the pool.  We have found with the salt water we are able to keep the water clean and clear without doing too much.  We don't have to add chlorine to it after the initial dump of chemicals in the beginning of the season.   The salt water is definitly healthier for us.   Pool chemicals are either going to be in a plastic container or a plastic bag.  Since we rarely buy these chemicals we are also able to reduce the amount of waste in that regard.  Sure we could recycle the containers (throw away the bag) but even that has to go through a process.  Now we can reduce the amount we throw away and recycle.



For some reason I don't have a pic of
them outside but this gives you an idea

 We also wanted new furniture for outside by the pool.  The table and chairs were left by the previous owner and we don't like it.  However we are too cheap to buy new stuff.  Last summer Husband actually made some lounge chairs for us.  Instead of having plastic chairs he made some out of wood.  It looks nice and it had a much lower impact on the environment.  Well, at least I believe it did.  I guess the wood could have gone through some kind of process before it got to us.

One thing that I have made an effort to change, however, involves cleaning up after the dog (and deer).  It's not exactly something that we use outside but since she goes outside and I had to clean it up I did think about it.  Instead of putting her waste in a plastic bag I actually put it in paper bags.  I know this will break down easier in the landfill and over time it's a better option than using a plastic bag.  Plus it's pretty cheap to buy the paper bags, I just use paper lunch bags. 



Blackberries from this year.

 Now the last thing I wanted to mention kinda goes with this and kinda doesn't.  I had wanted some kind of privacy cover/fence for around the pool.  I also wanted blackberry bushes.  We decided to put the blackberry bush on the pool fence.  This not only provides us with some cover for when we are in the pool but it also kept us from having to buy/build something for the blackberry bush to climb on.  Instead of just having some grasses or some other plants around the pool, we have a plant that provides us with fruit.  Win-win if you ask me.

Change the World Wednesday - struggles

Here is the challenge for this week:

This week, suggest a challenge. This can be a repeat of a past challenge, a version of something we've already done or something completely new ... anything which you feel we should address.

And/Or ...

Tell us about something you're struggling with ... a green-living activity which is difficult to adopt in your life.

This is a good challenge from Reduce Footprints this week.   I think I've got an answer for both. Look at me coming back with a punch!

The challenge I would suggest is for those who have kids.  Think of something involving your kids that creates waste or is environmentally unfriendly.  How could you change this?   If you don't have kids, do you know people who do and do they do anything you could recommend for us?  

As for something I struggle with, that would be composting.  I have a couple of yogurt containers that I saved and when I have waste for the compost bin I put it in the containers.  Then the containers sit there because I'm too lazy to walk them outside to put in the compast bin.  The containers do have lids, so it's not like it's stinky.  Well..then the containers fill up.  I still don't take them to the compost bin.  That means any more waste I have ends up going in the normal trash.  I know it's just a lazyness thing. I know it would only take me a couple minutes to take it outside and dump it.  I don't know why I don't just do it.    I try to make the effort and I'll do really good for a couple weeks, then I let it slide again.    The good thing is that I know it's a struggle and I'm making the effort.

Change the World Wednesday - vegetable garden

 This week's challenge is from Gaby who says "Grow one vegetable. You can actually just buy a bag of soil, lay it down, cut it open, and plant seeds in it. No green thumb necessary!" With hints of warmer temperatures and flowers beginning to bloom, I think it's a perfect activity.

This week plant a vegetable or herb. And then, tell us what you decided to grow and where (your yard, a container, a pot on the window sill, etc.).

Or ...

If you are a gardening guru and plant veggies each year, please offer us any tips, ideas and advice. We'd like to know if you plant in containers or till the soil ... how do you fertilize your garden ... and what about keeping pests away. We want to know it all!

I love the challenge being hosted by Reduce Footprints this week.  Last year was the first year I attempted to grow any vegetables.  I just used pots on my deck because I didn't know how good I would be about keeping up with the vegetables and didn't want to go to the trouble of creating a spot in the yard and then not following through.  I did really well last year and the husband loved having a steady supply of tomatoes (the only thing I grew) so we cleared a spot last fall in hopes of have a garden this year.

Tomatoes, lettuce, spinach, and onions

Earlier this month, due to the unseasonable warm temps we have had, I went ahead and planted everything outside.   I planted tomato's, lettuce, spinach, and onions.  I accidentally bought too much lettuce and the onions was a huge bunch, I ended up running out of room in the garden.  Luckily all the pots I had used last year were still on the deck.  Now those pots are all full of lettuce and onions.  One pot has a tomato plant in it that was given to me a couple of weeks ago.  Two pots have strawberries. I had attempted the strawberries last year and gave it up for a lost cause but they came back!

I don't  really know what I'm doing and I don't know how much time I'll have to tend to the garden but I'm excited about it.  We didn't do anything special when creating the plot.  We just took up the grass, built the enclosure, and put some extra soil/dirt we had on top.   When I planted each plant I made the hole bigger than it needed to be and added in organic manure we bought at the store.  I have been working on composting but, well, that isn't going too well as I don't have any yet.

Lettuce and onions...2 strawberry plants thrown in

Oh..and we had to enclose the plot because our subdivision backs up to a state park and the deer love to hang out in the yard.  I'm hoping they don't jump the fence.  

While the focus is on vegetables, I wanted to show off my fruits.  Three years ago my sister gave me 2 very small cuttings from her blackberry bush.  I planted them along the fence that encloses our pool and I believe that year I had 5 pieces of fruit total.  I figured it would take awhile to really get a good crop though.  Last year it took off and I had a lot of fruit. I made blackberry desserts, ate a lot, and froze the rest.  In fact, I just used the last of the frozen blackberries in my smoothie yesterday (I make a smoothie for breakfast 1-2 times a week).   From the picture, you can see that it is huge this year!  The husband wants me to cut it back and I keep telling him I will after it fruits as that's the right time.  However I don't want to.  I like that it offers privacy for when we use the pool and love that it costs me absolutely nothing to maintane (except watering it sometimes) and gives me a ton of fruit I would otherwise buy as organic.

Blackberries!!!!!

The two plants with tags are the blueberry plants
the one outside the fence is the raspberry

Since Husband has seen the benefits of having the blackberry bush, we planted other fruit bushes this year.  We planted two blueberry bushes and one raspberry.   The Raspberry bush is planted along the pool fence on the other side.  The hope is that eventually it will do just as good and the two plants combined will provide all the privacy we need while using the pool as well as keep costs down as far as buying all the fruit for desserts and smoothies year round.  The two blueberry bushes are actually planted in the landscaping inside the pool area.  We needed to get two more plants to finish the landscaping and thought..why not something useful.  I buy blueberries for my smoothies as well so it was a logical choice 

Change the World Wednesday - pick up trash

It's been awhile since I've been able to participate in Change the World Wednesday with Reduce Footprints but I'm glad to be back!  I love reading the other posts for this challenge and I like doing the challenges myself.  You never know what tips and tricks you'll pick up.

This week the challenge is to pick up trash you see as you take a walk or reflect on ways to reduce trash in your home.  Both of these are excellent!

I'm very happy to report that when we walk the dog every night we rarely see trash in our neighborhood. So glad the neighbors are good about keep their yards clean and picking up trash if they see it, or maybe people  in the neighborhood just aren't litter bugs..even better!

We live in a cul-de-sac and I noticed several months ago a couple of bottles in the middle circle where the landscaping is.  We have new neighbors with 3 teenage boys and I thought maybe it was there's. So for about a month I saw it every time we walked the dog and every time I got annoyed by it. haha!  I finally picked up the bottles and put them in our recycle bin. I should have done it right away but was hoping whoever left it would be responsible and pick it up themselves.  Oh well, the good thing is that it ended up being recycled by somebody.

I run at a local park every weekend and am happy to report that even though a lot of other runners use the park and use gel packs, etc, I rarely see any trash along the trails.  Go runners!

As far as ways to reduce trash, unfortunately we've had a lot of trash lately.   I hate it!  With the impending arrival of Baby Girl (3 weeks!!!) we've had to get her room ready and get everything that we need.  This means a lot of waste.  I've bought organic where I could but even organic items are packaged.  I have hated seeing so much waste go into the trash but haven't seen another option.

The best thing, however, is that we have bought as little as possible.  This might come back and bite me as I run out of something but we are both with the belief that we don't want to buy a ton.   We have also been incredibly lucky that my sisters have young kids and are both not planning to have any more.  This means that we have been able to borrow a lot from them.  I didn't have to buy any swings, we have a bigger one and then a smaller one that we'll use in the bedroom when Baby Girl comes home.  One sister just bought her youngest (he'll be 1 next month) a new car seat and since the infant seat was less than 5 years old we have both her bases and the seat.  In fact, as far as the bigger items most people register for, the only thing we needed was a stroller.  Not too bad!

Both of my sisters felt bad asking me if I wanted all their stuff and bringing it to me, thinking that with this being our first (and as far as Husband is concerned our only) that I would want all new, etc.  Not the case! I told them that I would take as much from them as I could. It not only saves us money but it keeps so much packaging and other waste from hitting the landfills and resources used to make the products.   I even talked to one sister today and since we haven't received many toys for Baby Girl, I'm going to go "shopping" at her house after her arrival and pick out toys that I think she might like that my 3 yr old and almost 1 yr old nephew don't use anymore.  Win-win!

Oh..and for inquiring minds..we will be using cloth diapers and cloth wipes.  We already bought all the diapers (either no packaging or recycled packaging for all of it!) and wipes and are ready to go.   I'll be sure to do a post on what we plan to do and then another post on how it actually works out.  Husband is on board but would rather use disposables, so it's going to be an interesting adventure.

Change the World Wednesday - more Daily challenges

Playing catch-up, here are some more of the daily challenges being featured over at Reduce Footprints.

Remove one light bulb from your home. Live without it for the rest of this carbon fast. This will decrease energy use and act as a reminder of why we are doing this. In addition, make a point of turning off lights when you leave a room, or that you don't really need to have on. This simple act could save 55 lbs of CO2 emissions a year.

The funny thing is that we went almost a year without the use of one light bulb. Not because we meant to do it but because I was having trouble wiring a switch properly and gave up for awhile because I was so frustrated. Several months ago Husband decided to work on it and together we figured it out and we have use of it now.  However, now we are having trouble with a light staying on in the garage.  So...we are unintentionally doing this one.  

Get a home energy audit from your local utility company. Find out how you can save resources and money by making small, inexpensive improvements to your home. Find out more from NSTAR andEnergy Star.

We actually looked into solar electricity last year and did this.   Unfortunately we would have had to put the solar panels on the front of our house and it took something like 6 months to get the subdivision to approve it.  By that time we weren't eligible for all the rebates towards Solar Electricity and the cost was too much.  We would have ended up paying over $10,000 out of pocket.  The amount of room we had for solar panels wasn't great and it would have only generated about 50% of our usage, meaning this was not cost effective for us. 

The good news, though, is that we do pretty good with energy use in our house.  It's actually not that bad.  I know we could improve with some of the appliances but if they aren't broken, why replace?  They are expensive appliances and old so we know we'll be replacing them within the next 5 years.  Whenever we are at one of the home improvement stores (which seems to be all the time!!) we look at the appliances they have deeply discounted to get rid of but so far the ones we still have to replace haven't been an option. We aren't giving up hope yet!  We've had good luck doing this so far. We bought our stovetop, smooth, for $100 because it had a scratch on it and one of the knobs had a chunk taken out of it.  We grabbed that deal!    We knew these were things we could easily fix.  Let's just keep our fingers crossed we run into similar deals for a double wall oven and a washer and dryer. haha

We have replaced all windows with triple pain windows and that has helped out a lot!  We used to walk into our kitchen and you could feel the change in temperature since one wall is all windows.  Now it feels the same as the rest of the house.  

Change the World Wednesday - daily challenges

This week Reduce Footprints started posting daily challenges on how we can better our lives and the environment at the same time.  It's hard for me to do the daily ones just because I don't have a ton of free time, I do follow them and figure I'll post once a week or a couple times a week regarding the different challenges.

Yesterday the challenge was to say no to bottled water and yes to a re-usable bottle.   If you know me, you know that this isn't hard for me. I have several re-usable bottles and always seem to want more (in fact I'll be ordering a new one within the next week or so haha). I don't really see the point of bottled water. I know people who keep it stocked in their fridge and use it at home. Um, why? Our fridge has a water filter in it so when I want water I just grab a cup and use that. If I'm headed to the gym or we're going to be doing errands for awhile, I grab a re-usable bottle and fill it up with the water function on (in?) our fridge. Problem solved.  I also keep one bottle at work during the week that I fill up and use all day, no buying bottled water for me. If I forget to pack a bottle in my gym bag I usually remember this while at work and just take the work one with me. Problem solved.

Today the challenge was to limit the use of your laundry machine.  Here's what Reduce Footprints has to say:

Only use your washing machine when you have a full load, and run it on cold whenever possible. Run at maximum spin to reduce drying times and avoid using a tumble drier, opting instead for a clothesline. A typical washing machine uses 90% of its energy to heat the water. Generally, cold water gets your clothes just as clean and saves about 2 pounds of CO2 per load.

Now, I actually feel like I do a lot of laundry for two people yet I know the loads are full.  The only one you could argue could be fuller is the workout clothes, but come on, I only have enough to get through 1 week so I have to do those once per week. Due to the type of clothing (boy does it hold in stink) I use a detergent specific for sports clothing so that's why I don't mix the clothes in with others.    Even so, it's still a decent sized load.    I also always use cold water.  As far as drying, we do use our drier for each load. I've touched on this before and the reason I don't try to dry outside is due to my allergy issues.  However, I make up for it by having 2 laundry lines hung up in my laundry room. If the item is not dry the first time through the dryer, I hang it up instead of running it through again.  This helps out immensely!  

Change the World Wednesday - non-curbside recycling

This week's Change the World Wednesday challenge at Reduce Footprints is as follows:

This week create a recycle bin for all the non-curbside recyclables - batteries, CFL bulbs, misc. plastics, etc. - and then find out where to recycle them.

Or ...

If you're already a recycling "guru", please tell us about your toughest items to recycle and how you've managed it. And, of course, any tips and ideas you have for recycling would be wonderful!




This is actually an easy one and one I should have thought of doing long ago but haven't.  I try to save things that I can't recycle curbside and take them to alternate locations but a lot of times it's easier to just throw them away because I have no where to put them until I have the chance to recycle them.


I have lots of storage in my laundry room, it's on the main floor between the garage and kitchen so it's a convenient location.  I can easily put an empty box in there and start throwing everything in to it.


My concern, though, is when will I remember to take this stuff to the store or specific location to recycle them?  I know local hardware stores can recycle batteries and bulbs. I know Whole Foods will recycle wine corks.  However that doesn't mean I've managed to bring in the two wine corks currently taking up residence  in my kitchen.  They've been there for months because I know I can recycle them. I just keep forgetting to grab them whenever I go to Whole Foods.


I suppose that is going to be the real challenge.  It's easy to throw these things into a box with the good intention of actually recycling them.  The challenge comes in remember to take them with me when I go to these places so I can recycle them.    I've thought about just putting them in the trunk of my car, but even then it isn't always a reminder since I don't look in my truck before heading into the store and sometimes not even when I leave.


As far as something tough to recycle, I've got one for you.  Do you have tennis shoes that are so old you can no longer wear them and it wouldn't be right to donate them?  Either shoes you wear in the yard or shoes you work out in or just every day tennis shoes.  Did you know that some of your local athletic stores might have a recycle bin for you to drop off the shoes? 


I go through running shoes pretty fast, well, fast compared to a lot of people.  I switched them out once I hit 400 miles.  To give you an idea, my current pair have about 210 miles on them and I've been wearing them a little less than 4 months.  This is actually somewhat low mileage too because I've had to take breaks due to injury and also really limit my running due to the pregnancy status.   When I hit 400 miles my shoes don't look like they need to be replaced but I know they are broken down and it's time.  Normally what I do is then rotate shoes. These shoes become my weight lifting/cross-training shoes, the shoes I was wearing for that become yard work shoes.  So then what do I do with the yard work shoes?  Recycle them!!!


Nike has a recycle drop off box in all their stores.   You can also mail them to them, you have to pay shipping though.


What I prefer to do, however, is find a location for Shoeman Water Project.  This is a local project, so unfortunately those of you in other states won't be able to use this.  The Shoeman Water Project has several donation boxes all over, all I have to do is enter my zipcode and it gives me a list of the closest ones. I just have to remember to take my shoes there.