EcoXperience Blog: Experience the World in Green!

We've Moved the Site...

2010-02-16T20:27:00.000-08:00

We are excited to announce that the Ecoxperience blog has been moved to a new location under www.ecoxperience.com. This move is part of our format change for the EcoXperience.com website. The new site was designed to be a place to not only learn about green living but also find the latest products and businesses for your green home. We've also created areas for community generated reviews and forums to help you live green @ home.

Thanks!
EcoXperience.com

Reel Mower - Gas Free Lawn Care

2009-06-18T10:02:00.000-07:00

Well summer is now in full swing and we have decided to give green lawn care a try. We've used corn gluten as weed control and other all natural products in our yard and garden. Now we are giving the old fashioned push mower a try. Some of our neighbors have gas and man-powered reel mowers already and we wanted to try it out. Jon always wanted to be able to mow the grass and not wake up our kids while they nap.

I really like our new reel mower we purchased from ecomowers.com They had a great deal on our model and offered free shipping. We purchased a Sun Lawn LMM 40 reel mower since it was one of the few mowers that can tackle bermuda grass. It weighs about 17 lbs. so I can carry it no problem, has nearly a 16" cutting swath, and mows the grass as low as 0.4 " to 2.2" high. There is an optional grass catcher attachment you can get and collect your clippings for composting. I really like how easy it is to push and Matthew loves holding the lower handle and pushing it too. I love that I can now mow the lawn and not have to wait for Jon to do it. Sometimes he travels for work and I am forced to do the the yard work. I can not operate the gas powered mower, but with our new reel mower it's a breeze. The only problem we have had is that we use pine bark mulch in our landscaping and that will stop the blade from spinning so you have to keep your lawn mulch free. Another issue is an unlevel lawn can also stop the blades. We sanded our lawn for the first time this spring and that seems to help with the uneven lawn. I think if we sand again next spring our mowing will be smooth sailing.

Birth Defects and Pesticides

2009-04-11T16:59:00.000-07:00

Since it is finally Spring here in GA I've been working outside a lot with our boys. They have been great little helpers pulling weeds and planting in our garden. This year we tried corn gluten as a pre-emergent weed control and fertilizer. I'm not sure it did a great job as far as weeds, but it definitely made our rye grass look great.
Anyway, I was cruising Web MD the other day and I saw this article that really made me think. This is the time of year when everyone is putting down their lawn chemicals for weeds and farmers are getting their crops ready. Many people have heard the correlation of birth defects, cancer etc. with people living on or near farms using traditional agriculture methods (chemical herbicides/pesticides). There is a new study out that says that it isn't just people in rural areas that are exposed to the chemicals. Researchers with the U.S. Geological Survey’s National Water Quality Assessment (NAWQA) sampled water in streams that feed nearly 50% of the nations drinking supply. The NAWQA found that pesticides were in their highest concentrations during the months of April through July. It was also determined that women who conceived during these months were 3% more likely to have a child with a birth defect, pregnancy complications or miscarriage. The babies conceived during this time were at a higher risk of a wide range of birth defects including Down syndrome, cleft palate, and spina bifida. The author of the study also said that 3% could also be a gross underestimation due to inconsistent recording of birth defects from state to state. I know what you are thinking. This is just another wacky study out there to make everyone be afraid and it doesn't really mean anything. The following quote from professor Paul D. Winchester, MD, is what really made me take this study more seriously: “This study does not prove that pesticides cause birth defects, but we set out to show that they did not and we were not reassured.” Something to think about for sure. Click the title of this post if you want to see the article on the study.

Introducing the Tesla Motors Model S

2009-03-28T10:51:00.001-07:00

Pop Quiz: what has a 300 mile range, 45 minute quick-charge, and is not from Detroit or Japan? The answer: the all new Tesla Motors Model S.

Image Credit: Tesla Motors via www.teslamotors.com

Tesla unveiled their new sport sedan on Friday, March 27, 2009, and already the internet is swarmed with stories and pictures of the new release. Tesla quotes expected delivery timeframe starting in 2011. We hope that the vehicle meets that target, and applaud Tesla for developing two electric vehicles that feature groundbreaking technology and smooth lines (maybe a few other manufacturers up north will take note). We look forward to many more stories about the Roadster and the Model S between now and 2011.

Image Credit: Tesla Motors via www.teslamotors.com

So the big question is: how do we raise $50K by 2011 to be one of the first to own this new sports sedan? With a 300 mile range, daily commuting shouldn’t be an issue, even with the long Atlanta commutes. And since the vehicle is electric, sitting still in traffic won’t put to much strain on the battery.

Image Credit: Tesla Motors via www.teslamotors.com

Well, enough of my excitement. We’ve included a few images of the new Model S in this post, but for more information we suggest checking out Tesla’s site for the Model S: http://www.teslamotors.com/models/index.php

Let us know what you think, we’re interested in hearing your opinion...

Whitehouse.gov

2009-01-28T19:49:00.000-08:00

A new website for the President of the United States and his adminstration was launched last week. The new look of the website includes a few areas worth mentioning. First, the Energy and Environment section highlights President Obama's plan to invest in clean technologies to improve the environment and reduce America's dependence on foreign oil.

The second area of the website is the "The Whitehouse Blog," which is updated daily and keeps everyone up-to-date on events and news from the Whitehouse. Check out the site regularly as the new administration settles into office and begins setting new policies. Currently, most of the news reported on the site provides insight to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Plan.

Fisker Automotive

2009-01-22T19:20:00.000-08:00

I am a self-declared automobile enthusiast. I love the smell of an old car and the sound of well tuned engine (especially the Italians). However, like many Americans, I became concerned as I watched the price of oil grow through 2007-2008. So, I decided to start researching some of the alternatives to fossil fuels. I instantly became interested in biofuels (mostly biodiesel) and hydrogen fuel cells. However, even more recently, I have become a huge fan of the electric sports car. When I first heard of the electric cars in 2006, I wasn’t sure I could get over the lack of sounds from the engine compartment and the rush of adrenaline associated with those cars. Well, all of that changed when I saw the Fisker Karma and Fisker Karma Sunset. These cars are being designed and developed by Fisker Automotive, Inc. based out of Irvine, CA. The cars are equipped with a plug-in hybrid drive system that gives the vehicles an all-electric range of approximately 50 miles on a single charge. A small gasoline engine extends the driving range for longer trips and added peace of mind. For more information visit them on the web at http://www.fiskerautomotive.com/. Here are a few pics of the Karma Sunset and Karma:

Karma Sunset

Karma

Image Sources: www.fiskerautomotive.com/press_materials

Can I Recycle This?

2009-01-21T19:14:00.000-08:00

Have you ever looked at a plastic container and wondered, what does the number on the bottom of the packaging mean?

Our neighborhood waste disposal company provides a curbside recycling program. Until recently, the company restricted the numbers of the plastics that could be recycled.

This got us wondering, does everyone actually know what those numbers mean?

The short answer is that the number indicates the type of plastic used in producing the container.

The long answer is that this number is the “resin identification code.” It was developed by The Society of the Plastics Industry (SPI) in 1988 to assist recyclers around the country. This code provides a mechanism for recycling companies to sort the materials that they receive. The numbers in the code are defined as follows:

1 – Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET or PETE). This is a clear plastic that is commonly used in drink bottles. Recycled PET can be found in tote bags, clothing, carpet, etc.

2 – High Density Polyethylene (HDPE). This is a more durable plastic that is typically found in milk jugs, juice bottles, and chemical containers. Recycled HDPE can be found in similar containers as its original use as well as other products. For example: furniture, recycle bins, and trash cans).

3 – Vinyl (Polyvinyl Chloride or PVC). This material offers excellent chemical resistant properties. PVC is used for piping among other household and industrial products.

4 – Low Density Polyethylene (LDPE). This material is very strong and flexible. Squeezable bottles for consumer products are usually made of LDPE. Recycled material can be used to create compost bins, floor tiles, furniture, and many others.

5 – Polypropylene (PP). Found in consumer product containers (i.e. yogurt and butter containers) and automotive parts, polypropylene can be rigid or flexible. This material is usually recycled into medium to large molded parts.

6 – Polystyrene (PS). This material is typically found in egg cartons, cups, plates, and packaging equipment. Polystyrene comes in a few forms, including rigid, foamed, and brittle textures.

7 – Other. Plastics bearing the “Other” code may be produced from a material not listed under the other codes or may have a mixture of materials. Depending on the types of plastics involved in the production process, the final product may be categorized as 7, or “Other.” Recycled number 7 type plastics are typically found in recycled plastic or composite lumber products.

In future postings we will look at companies and products that use these recycled materials to make great new products!

Being Green and Finding a Cure for Cancer

2009-01-20T18:07:00.000-08:00

If you are like me then you have accumulated a few cell phones over the years. I've looked at our office closet and between Jon and I there's probably 3 or 4 in there. What do you do with them? Where can you recycle them? Well I've got a great answer. I found this through my friend Katie's webpage. She's running in Relay for Life this May to honor her father who passed away from cancer on Christmas Day. It is so simple to recycle your phone and help out Relay for Life at the same time. You go to this website: www.cellularrecycler.com/acs. Fill out the form on the website. Print the UPS packaging label and ship off your old cell phone. They take the cash value of the recycled phone and give it to a Relay for Life team. How awesome is that? I don't know of anyone who cancer has not affected. If you don't know anyone participating in a Relay for Life team this year, then please donate it to my friend's team "Kisses for a Cure." You can save the planet and cure cancer all from the comfort of your desk in less than 5 minutes. So cool!

A Fresh Coat of Paint

2008-11-21T10:14:00.000-08:00

I’ve wanted to repaint the trim boards & staircase in our house ever since we repainted the walls 2 years ago. Babies and lack of time always seems to intervene. Lately my neighbors have been working on revamping their homes and I am reinspired. So….. I went to grab our handy gallon of trim paint left over from our builder. I found a beat up/dried up ¼ gallon of paint. The builder used Duron paint on both the inside and outside of our house. We had a local Duron paint store close to the house, but it closed about a month ago. I’m guessing due to the housing market and economy crash. So I called our local Sherman-Williams to see if they could match our paint. They said to bring in the gallon and they’d match it. All of our builder paint is “custom” with some sort of chicken scratch code on the top of each can that only paint people can decipher. Sure enough I went to Sherman-Williams and they said it was a white semi-gloss with a shot of black. They could match it. Since Jon and I have been going as green as within our budget I asked about their new eco-friendly paint “True Green.” I figured if it was anywhere near the $45 I spent on the last gallon of custom builder paint then it was a go. After the paint guy quickly set us up a store account for 15% off he told me the total. He said it was $43 while he made a “this is too expensive grimace.” Whooohooo! I thought to myself. I wanted to try it out when I got home. Lucky for me both boys passed out in the car on the way home from the store so I quickly painted a section of trim while they napped. I must say it looks just as good as our previous paint and I can’t even tell where it ends and the builder paint begins. The best part is it doesn’t smell. You would never know I just painted in the house. I think this paint is great. It also goes for LEED certification points as well. Only time will tell how well it holds up to wear and tear and cleaning though. The next time you are looking to paint your place, go and check out the True Green paint at Sherman-Williams. It’s pretty awesome!

Reusable and Plastic Bags

2008-11-18T11:31:00.000-08:00

OK I’m not going to preach to you why plastic bags are bad. I want to focus on what you can do to be better. I’ve been using reusable bags a lot this past year and I’ve learned a little bit about what I like and don’t like. I’ve purchased a few store brand reusable bags and they worked fine, but I kept thinking there must be another way. I’d always leave them in the car. They were these big bulky things dangling off my shoulder in addition to the diaper bag I’m always carrying these days. I found some bags I truly love. Everyone I know that has them LOVES them and I’m not kidding. I get comments every time I’m in the grocery store from one of the checkout attendants. My favorite reusable bags of all time is the Olive Smart Sack. It is 6 bags in 1 stuff sack. The Smart Sack that holds the 6 bags is smaller than the size of a water bottle so it’s totally portable. I keep mine in the diaper bag, but they work great in your cupholder. That way they are always in your car reminding you to use them when you shop. Each Smart Sack carries 6 colorful bags. Each bag can hold 20 lbs. I have personally used it to hold milk and orange juice or 3 juice containers in the same bag with no problems. These things are made of nylon and are very strong. Another great perk is that if you use them to carry meat or if they get dirty you just throw them in the wash. They come out looking good as new. Each Smart Sack has 6 colored bags and they can hold an entire cart worth of groceries. Many times I only need 3 bags so I can just grab my Half Sack (also made by Olive Smart with 3 bags instead of 6). I just love these bags. I’m not trying to just push a product though. If you’ve got bags you like better please share them with me. I’d love to hear from you.

Now that I’ve sung the praises of my Olive Smart Sack reusable bags, let me tell you what you could do with the plastic bags you may already have. Let me first say I am not perfect. Occasionally, on my bolt to freedom to run errands (sans kids) I forget to bring my bags. Target plastic bags give you great ideas on how to reuse their bags. I personally reuse most of ours for litter box and dog land mines in the backyard. When we have extra bags I’ve run them to our local Wal Mart b/c they have a bin near the door or in customer service that will recycle them for you. Two weeks ago I worked the soup kitchen for my church in downtown Atlanta. We fed over 500 people that morning and they had to close the doors b/c we ran out of food. I have learned that the guests of the soup kitchen highly value plastic bags. They are like gold for them. So now I’ve been donating our plastic bags to our local soup kitchen. Whatever you chose to do, know that there are so many more options than just throwing them in the trash. We all can make a difference one tiny plastic bag at a time!

Candles

2008-10-25T18:06:00.001-07:00

Here’s a little bit of information I found out about recently. Many paraffin candles have petroleum based products in them and some soy candles are made from GMO soy wax. Just a little something to think about.

Baby & Toddler Cookbooks

2008-09-10T19:50:00.000-07:00

Here's a list of some of my favorite cookbooks for baby and toddler cooking:

Simply Natural Baby Food by Cathy Olson (Matthew loves the apple oat pancakes!! Some of the ingredients are hard to come by, but this book is my most referenced baby cookbook)

The Petit Appetite Cookbook by Lisa Barnes

The Big Book of Recipes by Wardley & Moore

and my newest favorite Deceptively Delicious by Seinfield (love the chicken nuggets, mac & cheese #2 and the brownies are very good as well)

I am a composting genius!

2008-08-21T06:39:00.000-07:00

OK so I know everyone has their "moment" every now and then.... blonde moment, senior moment, whatever. This weekend I had a moment. I figured out after 7 months of composting why I was getting composting tea all over my bin when I would turn it. Apparently what I thought were black drains going into the composting reservoir below the spinning bin were actually plugs. All of the composting tea I've made so far has just been puddling up and running off. None of it was going into the reservoir bin. I had been wondering why this was happening, but figured I hadn't composted for long enough to get tea in the reservoir. So….now I have removed the 2 outer plugs so that the tea may drain into the bin. Hopefully I will have some great liquid food for my plants very soon......just had to pass this along so someone else might not make the same mistake. :)

As for the compost in the garden, I swear it made our plants grow better than they would have normally. All of our tomatoes, squash, melons, etc. all look great! The tomatoes are ready for harvest and taste and smell wonderful. Jon keeps eating them every chance he gets. I keep eating all the cherry tomatoes before they even make it inside. Have a wonderful day and happy gardening.

Squeeky Clean Floors

2008-07-28T09:28:00.001-07:00

It's been a while, but I'm back. It's a lot harder than I thought to start up an etail business while taking care of the house, two kids 2 and under, helping Jon through his MBA program, and his working full time at another job. Whew!

Anyway, I wanted to tell you about my favorite product for cleaning the floors. We've got hardwood, tile and carpet. My favorite piece of equipment to clean our hardwood and tile is the EnviroSteamer by Eureka. It's the bomb! It will clean up all the dog drool, baby food, ...you name it and it only uses water. It's a steamer mop. You just fill it up with water and put on the cloth bottom (similar to a Swiffer) and push it along the floor. It dries so fast and looks great. No chemicals. It doesn't get any greener than that. I've been using mine for about 10 years now and it still works great and I love it. You can find them at a number of big box stores like Walmart, Target, Lowe's as well as online. I originally paid $50, but now I think they are down to <$40. Another product which is a good idea is the "O" mop by Method. It's like a Swiffer, but uses reusable microfiber cloth bottom with their hardwood cleaner solution. I like it, but I love my EnviroSteamer.

As for the carpet, ours gets unbelievable nasty so quickly. With 2 dogs, 2 cats and 2 kids I can't say I'm too surprised, but it is still no fun to clean. Instead of us using a steam cleaning service with all their added chemicals we purchased a large upright steam vac. It wasn't a cheap purchase ($300), but it's worth it in my opinion. It's great and I can use plant based cleansers to clean the carpet so no chemicals are left behind when you're done. My favorite cleanser is called Second Nature ($10) and comes in a number of versions/scents from Walmart. For small jobs I use the Hoover Jr. steam vac and it is wonderful. It was my first steam vac purchase back when it was just me and my dog Bear to worry about. The Hoover Jr. has a really strong motor so the carpet is just barely damp when you're all done. Now your floors are clean and green!

Homemade Baby Food

2008-06-26T10:49:00.000-07:00

As our youngest is really getting into solid foods, it is very convenient to open that jar of baby food and spoon it into that chubby, smiley little face. When I have time though (which isn’t very often) I like to make his food myself. I’ll try and do a few foods in bulk. It’s as simple as throwing that bag of frozen organic peas into my steamer or pot with just a little water and cooking for around 10 minutes. The only caveat to the pot is to make sure you aren’t using a nonstick pot. Some studies say the coating on those has been linked to very bad things for your health. I have a set of stainless steal pots that I LOVE. They steam out the top when the food temperature reaches 180 degrees. This is supposed to be the point of optimal cooking where you still keep all of the precious vitamins and minerals, but kill anything bad that may be on the food. OK…back to making the food. You cook your peas until they are that beautiful bright green color. If they look a little brown it’s been too long in the heat and the vitamins and minerals are breaking down. You can really tell the difference between peas and sweet potatoes you make yourself and store bought. They are just so much brighter and richer in color. Once your peas are cooked just put them in a little food processor with some water and voila you are now a 4 star chef for your baby. I am big into recycling so I re-use the old baby food jars. I pull off the label, run them through the dishwasher, and they are as good as new. I label them with masking tape and a sharpie and they stack nicely in our freezer. It’s like a little rainbow of frozen jars. The food should keep for 3 months frozen or 3 days in the fridge. Once you have mastered single foods like peas or blueberries (my son’s recent fav), then you can move onto more complicated recipes. I try to mimic what he is currently eating in the jars and have a few choice recipes as well. I’ll post those another time with a list of my favorite books on baby food.

Composting Update

2008-06-06T14:16:00.000-07:00

OK. I put in my first batch of compost last month. It wasn’t quite as broken down into tiny particles as I had wanted, but it looked mostly just like the bagged soil we all buy. I had Jon till it into our garden bed and I have not smelled anything but fresh soil in our garden. I can’t wait to see how it makes our plants grow. We will be planting our shipment of fruits and veggies this weekend. Maybe we’ll have something delicious to eat by the end of summer. Yippeee!

Now….let me give you the lowdown on the first time composting experience. Despite my best efforts in adding way more “browns” vs “greens” there was still some smell in our composter when you lifted the lid. The composter itself did not smell nor did the area around the composter. This is good since it is right next to our back deck. BUT when you lift the lid….let’s just say I didn’t smell roses.

Also, I left the lid open a few times so the rain would wet down the compost for me instead of me adding water to it. I suggest NOT doing this since I had flies of all sorts chowing down on my kitchen scraps.

You are supposed to keep the compost moist so it will break down faster. This gives you the compost tea that collects in the bottom of the container. It’s supposed to be super liquid fertilizer. I read you’re supposed to dilute the tea to 1:10 parts water and your plants will love you for it. I wasn’t counting on the tea draining as I turned the bin. If you have too much water in your compost, then it drains out and gets all over the bin and your hands while you turn it.

These are just a few things to think about. I will definitely continue to compost our scraps. I think this bin is the best option we have so far. I did spy a new composter that blows mine out of the water. It’s electric and you keep it in your kitchen cabinet. It’s by NatureMill. It’s the coolest and gets rid of all of the negative experiences I had with composting. I totally want one! I hope we will carry these in our store soon, but for now go check it out. http://www.naturemill.com/ I feel I am now an experienced composter and I can’t wait to reap the rewards soon. I can almost taste those yummy tomatoes and fresh blueberries from our garden.

rechargeable batteries

2008-05-06T08:08:00.000-07:00

I guess it goes without saying, but kids have toys and those toys take LOTS of batteries. Even toys I used as a kid that did not need batteries then, now need them. We finally started switching over to rechargeable batteries. We bought one battery charger for $20, but it didn't work very well and I took it back. We purchased the same brand charger for $30 and it is much better. It tells you the progress on how the batteries are charging on the digital display. The batteries that belong with the charger are pretty expensive so we're hoping other brands will come out soon for less. If you are looking to switch to rechargeable batteries save some time, then buy the Energizer $30 charger. The batteries charge quickly and it works great.

I can't pronounce this ingredient

2008-05-01T19:59:00.000-07:00

Ever wonder what that unpronounceable word is in your cosmetics ingredient list? Ever wonder if it's bad for you? I found a website that will tell you. It's by the Environmental Working Group at http://www.cosmeticsdatabase.com/ You can search by ingredient or by the company who makes your sun screen, make up, etc. I try to take some of the things with a grain of salt, but the website is pretty cool if you want answers. Check it out.

dirty dishes

2008-04-15T07:31:00.000-07:00

I usually try to use an environmentally friendly dishwashing powder like Ecover or Seventh Generation. These washing powders are biodegradable so they break down in the water after use (unlike many petroleum based cleansers) and they work great too. I love Seventh Generation's liquid dish soap for hand washing. Here's my tip of the day. If you don't want to keep having to run to the store to replenish your "spot remover" you add to the dishwasher, then you can make your own for so much less! It is so simple. All you need is 1 cup of Borax and mix with 1/2 cup of baking soda. I keep mine in a tupperware bin with an old teaspoon measuring spoon in the bin. I store this next to the dishwashing powder. You just add a teaspoon of the baking soda and borax mix to your normal dishwashing powder and your dishes will sparkle for a fraction of the cost. No more hard water drops on your glasses and it's environmentally friendly.

skin care

2008-04-08T13:12:00.000-07:00

I used to work as a consultant for a skin care company that did the home “parties” kinda thing about 2 years ago. I didn’t like the whole selling aspect, but the company really opened my eyes to the stuff that’s in the products I used to use every day. The company sold products that used ingredients from science and nature. You could learn about the products and basics about skin care, etc. from the webcasts at the company’s website. I was just starting to get on the all natural/organic band wagon when this company came along. I no longer use a lot of their products, but the information and education I gained while doing it was great. I now believe that you shouldn’t put anything on your body that you wouldn’t want to eat. I say this because your skin is your largest organ and what you put on it does get absorbed into your system. I’ve also learned that babies skin is about 4 times thinner than adults so they are especially vulnerable to toxins in skin care products. I’ve got some of my favorite products we use on the boys on the website store. I’m currently finishing out my stash of company products on myself, but when it comes to my boys I don’t take any chances…..what’s in your bathroom cabinet?

Composting

2008-03-18T18:42:00.000-07:00

I have a new daily habit. I’ve started composting our daily kitchen scraps. We cook at home quit often and I’ve noticed we’ve filled our bin in only 2 months. I asked for this composter for Christmas. I know…it sounds a little weird. A composter ….. for Christmas, but let me explain. Ever since we bought this house I always wanted a garden. I wanted to grow my own fruits and veggies. So, for Christmas I asked for a composter and a tiller attachment so I can till the garden soil. The composter I wanted is an Enviro-Cycle base tumbler. It is a big green cylinder that spins in place. You just fill it, close the door, and grab the built in grooves to start turning it. The bonus is at the bottom of the composter (where the wheels are to turn the bin) is the container to catch the “compost tea.” It’s the water that runs out of your compost that is chock full of goodies for the plants. They come in green for warmer climates and black for northern climates. Everyday I make eggs and a smoothie for breakfast. I put the banana peel and egg shells in our counter top composter. When it gets full (about every 3 days) I dump it into our big Enviro-Cycle compost tumbler. I now have 2 months of kitchen scraps (greens) and newspaper and junk mail (browns) filling up the bin. The greens can be anything plant related ie: grass clippings, banana peels, coffee grounds and bread. You don’t want anything meaty or oily and definitely no poo. I’ve learned that the bin needs about a 1:2 ratio of greens to browns otherwise it starts to smell not so fresh. Now I just turn the bin everyday and it should decompose into awesome compost. It’s starting to warm up here in Georgia so maybe I will have compost in about 6 weeks. I’ll keep you posted. My problem is now I want another composter! That way I can keep putting in our scraps in another bin while this bin cooks. I'm addicted to composting. Jon’s gonna love this!

Diapers, diapers, and more diapers

2008-03-09T13:35:00.000-07:00

As a mother of 2 under 2 diapers are a part of life. I always wanted to try cloth diapers (aka CDs) when we had our first son Matthew. Everything I knew about them was that they were gross, used pins, and you needed a diaper service to deal with them otherwise they were a no go. I wanted something that was just a good as the Huggies we were so used to using everyday. It couldn't be complicated or my husband wouldn't try it. (no offense Jon :)) I'd read that disposables were a large portion of the waste going into our landfills and that they took an eternity to decompose. So....I spent some time trying to find a cloth diaper that suited our needs and I found it.

At 14 months, I switched Matthew into a One-Size Pocket Cloth diaper and we haven't looked back since. We purchased 7 diapers at the time and 8 bamboo cloth wipes just to try out. They are great! The diapers are a "pocket diaper" in diaper lingo. This means that there is a slit in the top and you can change out the stuffing or "inserts" in this pocket. The outside is a PUL covering. Now, these diapers are not completely organic cotton and I recognize this, but they're still a lot better than disposables. We chose the One Size Pocket diapers so they would grow with Matthew and we wouldn't have to purchase more diapers in different sizes down the road. They fit babies from 8 lbs up to 30 lbs with these adjustable snaps and close with velcro tabs (just like the old Huggies). We purchased an extra insert to double stuff for overnight. With our newest addition, William, we did use disposables until he was about a month old. The CDs were a little too big and bulky for him at the time. Now they have reformated the CDs and they have a special insert just for newborns. I sure wish they had these 3 months ago! I fold the cloth wipes in half and they store inside our wipes warmer just like our disposable wipes used to. I keep them moist with a wipes solution I make myself, but you can buy pre-made solutions as well. I keep a 1 liter Rubbermaid drink container filled with water and a squirt or two of all natural baby shampoo and baby oil (if you like). Then I just pour the solution onto the wipes in the warmer whenever I add fresh clean wipes from the dryer. About once a month I take out the wipes warmer insert and clean it with bleach so everything stays moist and clean.

Cleaning the dipes...
In our pre-CD days we'd take our Huggies, roll it up with the wipes inside and put it into our diaper genie to make small "diaper sausage links" to put into the garbage. I changed out the diaper genie to a normal trash can with a step on lid a while back. They changed our genie model and I couldn't find the plastic baggie insert that encases the diapers in the stores anymore. I still use the normal trash can for our CDs. When we have a dirty diaper it is just like before. Cloth wipes get rolled in with the diaper and all gets put in the trash can for laundry the next morning. The only thing different is that I like to pull out the inserts before I put them in the trash can. You want to wash the inserts outside of the diaper so they get clean and dry better. I wash the dipes every morning on warm/cold with a natural detergent. My favorite is Planet powder laundry detergent. It works really well and since we have a HE washer and dryer I get double the amount of loads out of it. Detergent for CDs must be free from dyes, artificial fragrance, and brighteners or any other harsh chemical. All of these things can irritate your baby’s very sensitive skin. After washing, everything gets thrown in the dryer on low. Viola! Fresh clean diapers are ready in 2 hrs. or less and you didn't have to pack everyone up and take them to the store to get more diapers.

Another note on the CDs, you should use a liner if you have to use any rash cream. The rash creams coat the diapers with a water proof layer and then the diapers can't absorb the wetness. I recommend Imse Vimse liners. I got them from Cotton Babies as well and they have lasted forever! I cut them in half and line any diapers when we use rash cream. They are flushable so they are great for dirty diapers. Just pull out and flush away. I've put them thru the washer and dryer at least 2 or 3 times before they fell apart. If you accidentally forget to line the dipes you can usually get the cream off by treating the stain with dish soap before washing. Works like a charm in our house.

The CDs are pricey in the beginning I'll admit. I believe our outfit of 22 dipes, 5 packs of wipes and liners cost around $500, but the savings you get in the long run are amazing. I believe one site I read said you spend well over $2,000 on getting just 1 child thru diapers. Our detergent costs $7 and lasts for at least 40 washes. Then it is only the small amount our HE washers and dryers use in electricity and water. No more trips to the store for dipes and no more dipes going into the landfill. For traveling I keep 1 or 2 dipes in the diaper bag with a small container of disposable wipes (Seventh Generation or Whole Foods brand chlorine free).

I've been using CDs on our 2 boys for almost a year now and I'm really impressed with how easy it is and feel better about our choice. Even Jon now does the dipes in the mornings some weekends and doesn't complain. Both sets of grandparents were able to use the cloth dipes after a brief tutorial and the grandmothers did the laundry while I was in the hospital with William. They really are easy and great to use.

A little more background

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Jon and I met in graduate school and were married 2 years later. We're obvious animal lovers and have accumulated a small menagerie over the course of our marriage. Since our marriage we have moved out of our college town condo in Auburn and into a house outside the big city of Atlanta. Our house is home to a rottweiler, a weimaraner, 2 cats and fish. In the last 2 years we have had two wonderful little boys (3 months and 22 months) and they have blessed our lives immensely. That being said some times our house is a little crazy. I’m a little bit of a clean freak and I like the things I spend our money on to function how they are supposed to and be environmentally friendly at the same time. I also don’t want to spend and arm and a leg switching our family over to environmentally friendly things. I’ve learned a few tips and tricks in the last couple years so Jon suggested we start a blog so we can share this info. I’m going to try and share our experiences and the products that we’ve used and love. One day we hope to put together all the products into a store. That way all the products I talk about will be in one place and you won’t have to go hunting them down all over the internet or around town. I really hope you enjoy this website. Have a wonderful day!

Kim

Introduction

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Here is a brief introduction to the authors as our first post to this new blog.

Jonathan is a currently working as an Environmental Engineer. He graduated with a MS in Civil Engineering with a concentration in Environmental Engineering (2004) and a BS in Environmental Science (2001). He is currently pursuing an MBA with a dual concentration in Organizational Management and Entrepreneurship. He aspires to be an ecopreneur!

Kimberly is currently completing a graduate degree. She is seeking a MS in Wildlife Science. She completed her BS in Wildlife Science in 2001. Kimberly’s research topic is; assessing the impact of trap neuter return on the management of feral cats. The primary goals of this research were to examine the influence of Trap Neuter Return (TNR) on 7 previously unmanaged feral cat colonies and to examine the role of feral cat caretakers in relation to TNR management outcome. She is currently working on her thesis and plans to graduate soon!

We both have a passion for nature and the environment. Since 2003, we have been trying to incorporate eco-friendly living into our daily lives. We both strongly believe that you do not need to make sacrifices in your lives in order to “go green” or become more eco-friendly. There are exciting opportunities, products, and services that are now available that make choosing an eco-friendly substitute not only possible but fun! To us, there is simply a great feeling of joy and excitement knowing that our choices are helping the environment and making our lives healthier in the process.

In subsequent posts we’ll share more information on our passions and experiences. Please check back here often as we continue to grow this blog and expand our reviews of current and future green product offerings.

If you have a green product or idea, or if you have a “green” themed website or blog, we’d love to hear from you! Just send us an email at jls@ecoxperience.com.

- Jonathan