Tips for Going Green/Saving Money Part II

I was talking to a friend today about the new tax CA is proposing. Have you seen it? A $0.25 fee would be charged for each plastic bag used. I do my best to remember to bring my $0.99 bags from Giant or Target when I go to the store, but there are sometimes I make a quick stop for something and realize my bags are still in the house after being used.

For me, I like the fact that the food stores reward me for using my own bags by giving me a $0.03 - $0.05 credit for each bag I use. I know it's not much, but if I always remembered my bags and I used several on each trip, it pays for the bags and I know I'm doing better for the environment. So what about the people who are on so strict a budget that the $1 or $2 for a bag is out of reach? If you look, you can often find deals for free bags, or bags for less than $1. If you buy one at a time, eventually you will have enough bags to do your weekly shopping. Ikea has an AWESOME bag for $0.69. I have found that this bag is big enough to hold $120 worth of groceries! Wow! The other option? Reuse any bag. It doesn't have to be the fancy one that says Target or Giant across it. You can reuse plastic bags until they fall apart, you can reuse the bag from Target or Walmart, or even the plastic bag from the Gap! You can buy cheap canvas totes at Goodwill or Salvation Army Store. Be creative, there are lots of options.

Most people think going green = spending extra money. Buying organic produce costs more, but is it really better for our planet to buy produce that was shipped from CA to NY? There are so many little things you can change in your life to "go green" and make a difference. I challenge you to make one change this week. Pick one thing you can do that will be better for our planet and see how it effects your world!

Tips for Going Green/Saving Money Part I

Now that I am a mom of two I feel the need to live more naturally, or "go Green" as they say. I feel like I should be doing everything to maximize our budget and do what I can for our enviornment. I know that I am not very crunchy in the real scope of crunchy, but I don't really fit into the soggy end of things either. I often feel stuck in the middle of it all and I'm not sure where I really fit. I can't believe I'm the only person who feels this way, I would bet that many of you feel the same.

Today in true "green mommy" form I planted flowers and some seeds. What kid of seeds? Well, I now have an herb garden growing in my kitchen window. Or, well, soon to be growing. Right now the seeds are just getting used to the dirt they are sitting in. I bought a fun little suburban mom kit of chives, parsley, and basil. I hope I get lots of herbs and that it continues to grow for a long time. I'd love to have fresh herbs to cook with! I was also looking for some veggies for my vegetable garden. I found a 6-pack of red lettuce, which we loved 2 years ago when I grew it. They didn't have any "normal" tomatoes though. If you wanted yellow or pink tomatoes, head to Home Depot. If you just want some regular old tomatoes, you'd better give it a few weeks! So, I bought some seeds. I bought tomatoes, cucumbers, snow peas, and green beans. I figured for less than $2 a pack, if I get a few plants it will be worth it! I used the plastic containers the impatients and pansies I bought for my window boxes came in and I put some seeds in the dirt. If they actually grow into real plants I'll put them in the garden with the lettuce, and if not, in a few weeks I'll buy some tomatoes and cucumbers.

If I'm being honest, I like planting the garden. I actually enjoy digging up the grass and making the new garden. I hate weeding and maintaining the garden. I hate yard work. If only I could just plant the seeds and then go harvest the fruit in a few months...Guess I'm not quite the green mommy I strive to be, but this year, my goal is to grow some of our food and teach my daughters that you can be a modern woman and work in the garden as well!

Making the Swith to Cloth

My last post talked about green cleaners and the changes I have made in our life in the cleaning department, but there are so many "green" options out there! There are so many changes you can make to your life to live more naturally. We are heading down the path of cloth diapers for B. For those of you who have not used cloth diapers, let me tell you how overwhelming the decision can be. I knew months ago that I wanted to try to cloth diaper B. I spent countless hours during my pregnancy researching diapers. What was it that I wanted in a diaper? Did I want old-fashioned prefolds? Did I want a sized diaper or a one size diaper? All-in-ones or pockets? Fleece or cotton? Velcro or snaps? The list goes on and on and on....I finally bought a few bumGenius 3.0 pocket diapers, a 6-pack of prefolds, and a Thirsties cover to go with the prefolds. I also bought a few Kissaluvs in size 0 for the newborn stage right now. I got them with a Bumpkins Small cover, and I had a Dappi cover in a medium here already. See? It's overwhelming to start. I have learned so much in the past few weeks and I am LOVING the cloth diapers. For me, my main reason to use cloth was the issue of what we are putting in our landfills. I know others have different reasons. Some decide it's more cost effective, which it is, as long as you are not always needing the newest cutest diaper. Yes, I said it. Cloth diapers can be stinkin cute! I'm hoping to try out a few new ones soon...Once I get settled into the current ones. Any suggestions? I'd love to hear what cloth diapers work for you and why you chose them!