Re-using More.

When we were at the store today, I saw these reusable sponges. Normally I am not one for impulse purchases. These were an impulse purchase that made sense to me though. We always seem to be buying regular scrubber sponges...the kind that have a horrible impact on the environment and a short cleaning life. I have always felt guilty about the number of sponges we use, so I was very happy to find these!! They were only $1.86!! We use reusable dinner napkins, cloth diapers, baby wipes, nursing pads, etc... Why not sponges too? It only makes sense!!

What do you want to switch over to reusable? What are the wasteful areas of your life that could be changed?

Let's make our lives more reusable.

My Message To Humanity.....

I was asked, 'If you had the opportunity to get a message across to a large number of people, what would your message be?'

Here is my response:

I want to spread the message of ReInvention far across the world.

 We can change things. We deserve change. We just have to wake

up and DO IT.

Will you join me?

Be Happy Healthy & Strong,

Lolli

(The background image is from one of our nature hikes and the person in the picture is me)

EARTH HOUR!

Celebrate Earth Hour on March 23, 2013 from 8:30 pm to (:30 pm local time!

Don't know what to do during Earth Hour? Inhabitots has some ideas: http://www.inhabitots.com/celebrate-earth-hour-on-march-23-2013-with-more-than-a-dozen-family-activities

Sign the pledge here:

http://wwf.worldwildlife.org/site/PageServer?pagename=EarthHourPledge_2013_Individual

Join us for Earth Hour.

Every little bit helps.

Be Happy Healthy & Strong,

Lolli

Eco-friendly Alternatives to K-Cups!

I don't use these as I don't have this type of coffee maker ( nor do I drink coffee often), I don't know if they work or not.

These look really cool though and could be something to think about if you just read my reduce and reuse post.

https://www.getcafecup.com/

There is also a brand called ekobrew:

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=bl_sr_grocery?_encoding=UTF8&field-brandtextbin=ekobrew&node=16310101

Green your coffee habit ;)

Anyway, just was browsing online and saw these. So try them at your own risk as I haven't tried them, but they look cool!

Be Happy Healthy & Strong,

Lolli

Ask Me Monday! : Eco-friendly Cleaning!

" What are your favorite household cleaners? What are good eco-friendly ones?"

I am not one to buy the latest green fads in the store. I like to make my household cleaners out of simple things that are easy to find and do not cost a fortune.

I clean my house with these:

1. Hydrogen Peroxide
2. Rubbing Alcohol
3. Baking Soda
4. Vinegar
5. Tea Tree Oil
6. Dish soap
7. Water
8. Lemon Juice
9. Olive Oil

#7 is beccause I use my steam cleaner a lot. I steam clean the carpets, couches, bed, curtains, baby toys, etc. The list goes on. It is wonderful for cleaning the shower as well. A good steam cleaner makes eco-friendly cleaning much easier.

I am often asked how I treat laundry stains. It depends on the stain, but I often find a mix of Dawn Original dish soap and white vinegar do the trick! If it is a light/ easily removed stain, sometimes I will just put laundry soap directly on the spot and rub it in, before washing.

You don't need fancy stain removers to keep your clothes spot free! The sun is an amazing stain remover too! I love to hang my whites on a drying rack in front of the window for extra stain removal.

I will sometimes use baking soda and tea tree oil to clean my mattress. Rub into mattress in circular motions ( be sure to spot test on your mattress before doing the whole thing), and then vacuum up. That easy. I keep my mattress clean in between with the steam cleaner.

I polish the wood in our home with juice from a lemon and some olive oil.

My multi-purpose kitchen cleaner is 50/50 vinegar and water mixed.

My bathroom cleaner is 1 part hydrogen peroxide to 3 parts water, put in a spray bottle. I use it to clean counters, shower, toilet seat, etc.

1 cup baking soda & 1 cup vinegar poured down tub drain clears out many clogs. No need for expensive drain cleaners. Let it sit in drain for 10-30 min then pour boiling water down the drain ( be careful not to burn yourself!) and voila!

I use rubbing alcohol on faucets and on mirrors to make things clean and shiny.

There are so many other ways that I clean my home natural. If you have a question about how I clean a particular area of my home, please leave it in the comments and I will get back to you!

I hope this helps! There are many inexpensive and non-toxic ways to clean your home :) 

Be Happy Healthy and Strong,

Lolli

This post is for entertainment  purposes only and not intended as advice of any kind. Use common sense when cleaning your home. I am not responsible for actions taken as a result of reading this post.

Earth Hour

Earth Hour is tonight from 8:30-9:3- pm.
To learn more, check out these links:

http://www.worldwildlife.org/sites/earthhour/index.html
http://www.earthhour.org/

Let's all make a difference & help our world!

❤

Lolli

Adventures in Newborn Cloth Diapering

Cloth diapering has been a wonderful adventure for us so far. I have made a few mistakes, but learned from them and moved on. 

Our daughter has only been in 1 "sposie" diaper (the diaper they put on her at the hospital). Her first diaper change at the hospital Hubby and I changed her into her cloth diapers.While we were in the hospital dealing with meconium we used biodegradable inserts in our cloth covers. 

Once we got home we switched all the way over to our cloth inserts & haven't looked back.

A few things that were challenges for me was figuring out the sizing ( we use One Size covers that size through the elastic) I kept wanting to make the legs too loose to avoid marks...which led to a night time leak. Then we found out our daughter is a HEAVY wetter. So I started "double stuffing" her diaper at night time...problem solved!

She is dry day & night now. 

The other issue I've had with cloth diapering is the diaper sprayer. The newborn poop kind of goes everywhere....and so does the diaper sprayer. I am starting to get a handle on the sprayer & how to use it so I don't drench the bathroom....

Any tips on sprayer technique though, please send them my way! 

What were your cloth diaper "newbie" challenges?


♥
Lolli






Please keep reading for more about the diapers we use and our cloth diapering experience as a family.


Also, if you like my blog, please support me by voting:

Why We Chose Cloth Diapers!

"You're gonna use what?! "

That's the response I most anticipated when telling people that we will be using cloth diapers for Baby A.

Thankfully though, the response was more positive than expected. My mother and mother in law are both very supportive which is nice. My hubby is completely on board.

 Other people, they are skeptical...but that's okay, its not their choice.

We will be exclusively using cloth.

 Using biodegradeable inserts in our cloth covers only for the first couple of days while we are dealing with meconium.

The brand of cloth diapers we chose to go with is Sprout Change. We will be using the Organic supersaver inserts in the covers. These diapers are One Size (adjustable) ranging from 5 to 40 lbs.!

Photos from www.willowpads.com

Sprout Change ^

Other brands that look great, and I would love to try out sometime are Bottombumpers & Softbums!

Bottombumpers, photo from bottombumpers.com

Softbums, photo from softbums.com

So why did we choose cloth?

So many reasons.....

1. It's better for the environment. Why would I want to contribute to the billions of disposable diapers going into the landfill already?
2. My child's health! There are chemicals like Dioxin, in many brands of disposable diapers. Not to mention, babies in disposables are more prone to yeast infections and diaper rash.
3. It costs less! From birth to potty training, I can anticipate saving close to @ $1500-$2000!  Not a bad deal.
4. They are super cute! Have you seen a baby in a cloth diaper?! They are adorable!
5. They tend to result in less "blow outs" according to several cloth diapering moms. Enough said.
6. The new cloth diapers are NOTHING like the old ones! Easy to use, and they don't require pins! Many use snaps or velcro!
7. I have heard that babies who are cloth diapered tend to be potty trained sooner! Bonus!

I hope this list was enough to help you to at least consider cloth diapers as an option!

Don't like poo? Get a diaper sprayer. It's that simple. No more toilet swishing like the "old days".

But don't take my word for it, check out these links for more reasons why cloth diapers are a good choice!

http://www.jilliansdrawers.com/resources/whychooseclothdiapers

http://www.fuzzibunz.com/cloth_diaper_benefits.php

http://www.modernstork.com/content/002468.shtml

http://www.realdiaperassociation.org/diaperfacts.php

http://www.diaperjungle.com/why-use-cloth-diapers.html

For us...cloth diapers just make sense.

❤

Lolli


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