2/27/10

Homemade Cloth Baby Wipes
Making homemade baby wipes is even easier than making your own cloth diapers. If you can cut a straight line and run a zig zag stitch you can make organic baby wipes with the cloth that is left over from diaper making.
Flannel works especially well for this and it is a great way to use up old baby blankets, worn flannel sheets, and other items.

Making Baby Wipes


You are going to need a few supplies:

  • You will need a container to keep your cloth baby wipes and solution in. The plastic containers from commercial baby wipes work well, as does almost any other container with a tight fitting lid.
  • You will need flannel, terry, fleece, or other soft fabric that is durable.
  • Fleece does not ravel so it will not need to be hemmed. For any other fabric you will need access to a sewing machine with a zig zag stitch.
  • Baby wipe solution (recipe follows)
  • Two waterproof zippered bags. One for storing the unused baby wipes when you are away from home and one to store the used baby wipes.
How to Make Homemade Baby Wipes
  • To make your baby wipes cut an equal number of 6 inch by 6 inch squares from your chosen fabric. You can adjust the size of the wipes to fit in your container.
  • Place two squares together, wrong sides facing each otherr, and zig zag stitch around the entire square. That is it. You have a baby wipe. You will probably want at least two dozen if you have a new baby and about one dozen for an older baby.
  • Fold the baby wipe so that it fits in your container and add the baby wipe solution. After use, toss the wipe into the diaper pail with the soiled cloth diaper and wash. Hang in the sun to line dry and then put it back into the container for the next time.

Baby Wipe Solution


While commercial wipe solution may have any number of chemicals in it homemade baby wipe solution is gentle and healthy. It helps keep your baby's skin moisturized so that it can defend itself against diaper rash.
Baby Wipe Solution Recipe

  • 2 cups purified or distilled water
  • 2 drops organic essential Lavender oil
  • 2 drops organic Tea Tree Oil
  • 1 vitamin E capsule
  • 1 tablespoon organic cider vinegar
Squeeze the contents of the vitamin E capsule into the remaining ingredients. Shake well and pour over homemade baby wipes.

2/21/10

8 Simple Steps to the New Green Diet

How to Shop for the Earth, Cook for Your Health and Bring Pleasure Back to Your Kitchen

The following guidelines can help you make healthier, greener food choices for your family’s diet.
  1. Eat a variety of foods.
    Eating a wide variety of foods is the best way to meet all your nutritional requirements, but the proliferating "variety" in supermarkets does not reflect biological diversity. Three species — rice, corn and wheat — supply nearly 60 percent of the calories and protein people derive from plants. And, of 200 crops eaten by humans, only 30 account for 90 percent of the world’s calorie intake.
  2. Buy locally produced food.
    The average mouthful of food travels 1,400 miles from the farm to our plates. Food from local farms is fresher and closer to ripeness, has used less energy for transport and is less likely to have been treated with postharvest pesticides. Buying local products also supports regional farmers and preserves farmland. If you get your fruits and vegetables at a farmers’ market or from a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) farm, you can ask the farmer whether the food has been genetically engineered or treated with pesticides.
  3. Buy produce in season.
    Out-of-season produce is costly because transport uses so much energy. It’s also more likely to have been imported, often from a country with less stringent pesticide regulations than the U.S. Instead, in winter, prepare seasonal crops like potatoes, onions, sweet potatoes, beets and parsnips. Put away or freeze spring and summer produce, such as berries or snap peas, from local producers. All these foods retain their nutritional content in storage; using them cuts energy costs.
  4. Buy organically produced food.
    Organic certification guarantees that the product has been grown, handled and processed without synthetic pesticides, hormones, antibiotics, artificial ingredients, preservatives or irradiation. Foods that are labeled "100 percent certified organic" cannot contain genetically engineered ingredients. organic certification also means the farmer is promoting biological diversity by rotating crops, conserving and renewing the soil, and protecting water sources.
  5. Eat fresh, whole foods with adequate starch and fiber.
    Whole foods — fruits, vegetables, grains, legumes (beans), nuts and seeds — are the healthiest we can eat. The National Cancer Institute recommends we each "strive for five" servings of fresh fruits and vegetables a day to protect against cancer, heart disease and common digestive ailments. Also, most fresh produce, legumes and whole grains, with the exception of corn and soy, are still genetically natural.
  6. Eat fewer and smaller portions of animal products.
    Meat and dairy products are major sources of fat in the U.S. diet, and contribute to higher risk of heart disease, cancer and diabetes. Animal products, including farmed fish, may contain hormones, antibiotics and organochlorine chemicals, such as dioxin, DDT and other pesticides, which concentrate in animal fat. Fish caught in contaminated waters may contain high levels of PCBs or mercury.

    Cattle, chickens, pigs and sheep consume more than 70 percent of the grains produced in the United States. So it’s likely that the meat, eggs and dairy products you buy were raised on bioengineered feed — primarily soy, corn or cottonseed meal. Modern meat production also consumes water, energy and land. Animal waste produces air and water pollution. And red meat production creates about 3.5 times more greenhouse gases than that of grains.

    When you do buy meat, poultry or dairy, choose organic, which means it has been raised on organic feed.
  7. Choose minimally processed and packaged foods.
    A typical highly processed "food product" may contain little natural food and be high in fat, salt or sugar. It’s likely to contain genetically engineered soy- and corn-based additives, such as corn syrup and soy lecithin, which are present in 60 percent of all processed foods.
  8. Prepare your own meals at home.
    Cooking from scratch can involve a little more labor and time, but you can be sure you’ll save money and resources, because you’re not paying someone else to prepare, package, transport and advertise your meals. Home cooking is healthier and more nutritious because you start with fresh ingredients. And it can be its own reward, providing a truly creative outlet and rejuvenating the family meal.
  9. Parts of these 8 Steps are adapted from: Joan Dye Gussow, professor emeritus of nutrition and education, Columbia University Teachers College, and Katherine L. Clancy, director of the Wallace Center for Agriculture & Environmental Policy, "Dietary Guidelines for Sustainability," Journal of Nutrition Education,Vol.18, No.1, 1986.

Read more: http://healthychild.org/live-healthy/checklist/8_simple_steps_to_the_new_green_diet#ixzz0gEJPn310

2/18/10


Greening our Grocery Trip.
Eliminate bringing home plastic bags!

Plastic Bags:
For the ones you already own you can buy a nifty little cloth bag to store them in a nice tidy way.
Etsy Price: $3.45

For your produce use a Reusable knit bag.
Etsy Price $2.50

Re-usable Grocery Bags
Check out the great deals on Ebay
I found 10 reusable bags with free shipping for $14.99.

Or
If you are really crafty I found a great site with patterns and tutorials on how to make your own reusable grocery bags! Check it out!

No Fabric?
Check out this Tutorial for turning your plastic bags into a reusable grocery bag!

Read all about recycling plastic bags HERE.

2/16/10

I got married Yesterday! Our reception is not until July so I've really been thinking about how I'm going to "green" this event yet still afford it! Here are a few tips I've found and will let you know how things progress along the way!

 

In lieu of gifts

Getting presents is half the fun of getting married. If you don’t really need any of the essentials to start your new life with the person you love, why not ask your guests to donate to a good cause instead? Set up a gift registry online that provides links to your favorite charities. Not only will you save a few trees by not wasting gift-wrap, but you will also help fund a few worthy organizations.

Organic menu

Any caterer can be green. All you have to do is get them to replace standard ingredients with organic ones. Pick a caterer you like and then discuss going the organic route. Suggest using local foods that are in season, as well as free-range, organic meats raised with sustainable farming practices. Going organic not only protects the environment, but also prohibits your guests from being exposed to pesticides.

The wedding cake

Your cake can be organic without losing any of its mouthwatering deliciousness. Using organic sugar, flour, butter and eggs may be more costly, but it will definitely add to the taste. Look for a baker that specializes in organic cakes, or ask for a vegan cake, which doesn’t contain any animal products or processed sugars. It still tastes divine.

The toast

For beverages, offer your guests local wines and micro brews and even coffee made with Fair Trade beans.

Recycle

Instead of buying new decorations, try using what you already have and turn them into your wedding accents. If you aren’t interested in reusing items, purchase new things that can be functional at both the church and the reception. Transfer your flowers and other decorations you have on your guest book table, pews or altar and use them as centerpieces on your reception tables. Also consider using bamboo in your decorations as it is considered one of the most sustainable materials on earth. Once your reception is over, donate your accents to a local hospital or nursing home.

A responsible venue

Choose a location for your wedding and/or reception that will benefit from your event. A museum, botanical garden or art gallery will often use your fee to help fund their programs and add to the upkeep of their facility.

Invitations

Save a tree and use recycled paper for your invitations. Paper made from alternative fiber such as hemp or bamboo is another option. Also minimize the amount of paper you use by consolidating all your information onto one page, instead of stuffing your envelope with several inserts. If this isn’t eco-friendly enough for you, then go paperless altogether and send out invitations online.

Honeymoon with a cause

Instead of going to a lavish resort for your honeymoon, consider giving back and go on a volunteer vacation. There are many organizations that offer trips for people who want to donate their services to build homes, work on organic farms, rebuild nature trails or participate in animal conservation. [headline}It’s all in the details. There are many ways to plan a green wedding and these suggestions are just the tip of the iceberg. Hiring a wedding planner that specializes in green weddings will ensure you cover all your eco-friendly bases. If that’s not an option, simply seek out vendors that care about preserving our environment and create your own socially conscious wedding.

2/15/10

Important

This blog is:

 

Thought you'd like to know.

So sweet. So Cheap.

 

Check out this sale page for great deals on children's organic clothing!


2/9/10


I would buy this Amazing deal. 
An entire crib set of organic cotton goodness.
Ah. 
If only.
Maybe someone else can benefit from this amazing deal.
Check it out HERE.

Argington Organic Crib Set - Butterfly Print
SW2100B $390.00
Sale Price $99.00
in stock

2/6/10

 
Visit Kate Quinn Organics and use the code hurriedhome20 and get $20 off your order! Yes $20! I purchased 2 onesies, and a matching shirt for just $14 that includes my shipping! Can you believe it. All of the clothing is 100% organic. They also carry bedding and bath items as well. Hurry though because the coupon expires on February 28th! 





About Me

I want to save the planet, as well as my family. 
I was raised on doritos and mountain dew.
Ok, not literally but you get what I mean.
We grew up not knowing or understanding the importance of being "green." As a child the word organic was as foreign to me as a Honda.
I honestly think it all began to sink in on the day I visited my very first whole foods market. I was in college and my mother and I had began discussing organic foods and natural well being. It dawned on us that we were really missing something. We felt deprived of the happy healthy lives of those around us. 
The children in the shopping carts at Whole Foods looked so pure and full of joy. I know. I sound crazy. Honestly though, those are some of the cutest babies Ever! 
We then began to research and wow did it hit us hard. We have since then been striving to better ourselves as well as those around us. I am now happily married, well only if you're reading this post past Feb.14th 2010 (my wedding date) and I have the most precious gorgeous son that means the world to me. I want whats best for my family, but I want to be able to afford it too. 
This is my journey. 
My journey of finding that balance. 
For me. For you. For our future and the future of our children. 
I will be searching high and low for all things eco-friendly and organic that won't cost an arm and a leg! 
Our biggest goal is creating a 100% organic pregnancy, birth, and beyond for our second child. Not sure when that will be. Someday soon we hope! Join me on this journey and feel free to leave your own tips and tricks to affording going green anywhere on the page.
Stay Beautiful. Stay Green.

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