Every time I pull the plug on Roscoe’s bath, it pains me to watch several gallons of relatively clean water vanish down the drain.  Perhaps this angst is inherited from my resourceful mother, who always transferred our bathwater to the washing machine for a load of laundry after we were tucked into bed.  She currently keeps a bucket in her shower at all times to capture water for use in her garden but she wishes that there was a better solution for all that gray water waste. 

Thanks to Brac Systems, an innovative Canadian company, there is!  They have designed a grey water recovery system that filters bathwater and redirects it for use in toilets.  The entire system costs just a few thousand dollars (plus installation) but Brac claims that the system could save people up to 40% of their water bill costs.  It’s possible to redirect the water for landscaping use as well and to use the system to harvest rainwater. 

Since my life is too complicated for a new Brac System at this time, I’ve turned to simpler solutions for saving bath water in the short run. 

• We wash Roscoe’s cloth diaper covers in his leftover bath water. 

• I sometimes soak my toes in his tub, getting a mini-pedicure while he plays.

• Roscoe uses his bathwater as a beverage.  (Gross I know!  We’re working on this.)

• A few nights a week, Roscoe showers with daddy to save water and time.

• Rebecca opts for weekly baths for her toddler, saving at least 120 gallons of water a week by forgoing a daily tub time.

• Some people use leftover bath water to flush toilets.  They leave a bucket in the bathroom, scoop up some leftover bath water and pour it into the toilet, activating the flush mechanism.    

Roscoe accrues enough grime in a day to truly create his own gray water.  Someday it shall all end up watering our petunias or supplying our toilets.  Until then, we shall dutifully do our best to make it a darker shade of gray before it goes down the drain.  For a huge list of simple tips that just might make your Wednesday a little easier, go to Rocks In My Dryer.  

I’d always heard that diapers needed to be washed in the hottest water possible.  After two years of washing diapers in hot water, a post on Treehugging Family made me think about whether I could wash diapers in cold.  Peggy writes about saving 72 pounds of carbon dioxide in one month just by washing four out of five loads in cold water.  Keep that up for an entire year and you’ll save $60-100 on your energy bill. 

But doesn’t washing in hot water kill germs and bacteria?  Everything I read said no–unless your washer has a built-in heater, the hot water in your machine does not get hot enough to kill anything.  Most water heaters are set to 120 degrees.  You’d need a temperature of 160 to kill anything and 212 to actually sanitize your laundry.  Jennifer (Peggy’s co-blogger on Treehugging Family) pointed out that the dryer does get hot enough to kill bacteria.

Armed with all this information, I figured it was worth a try.  I loaded the diapers in the machine and set the knob to “cold.”  At the last minute, I almost turned the knob back to hot.  After years of believing the hot water I was using was beneficial–no, necessary–to the cloth diapering process, it was hard to make the change, even for investigative purposes.  Then, in one of the most daring moves of my cloth-diapering career, I pressed the start button and let the cold water gush into the machine.

Now that you are all on the edges of your seats, I’ll break this amazing news: the diapers came out of the dryer white, clean, and fresh-smelling.  Now, if anyone has some scientific evidence in favor of the hot-wash, please post a comment.  Until I hear advice to the contrary, I am going to wash diapers in cold water.  I just wish I’d had the gumption to take the plunge years ago!

You may recall from my Earth Day Resolution blog that I’m a struggling grocery shopper. Deciding what’s for dinner is hard enough, but figuring out how to get healthful eco-friendly food for reasonable prices has felt nearly impossible.  I want my child to munch on organic fruits and veggies, but when I see the prices my inner tightwad has a nervous breakdown. 

I’ve only been a Community Supported Agriculture member for one week, but already I feel vastly better about our family’s grocery habits.  Wondering what a CSA is? It’s a farm that provides seasonal organic produce directly to community members for a regular monthly price.  In our case we pay $135 each month for weekly bags chock full of organic goodies.  Click here for more info on CSA’s in general and here to find out if there’s one in your area.

Our CSA, Sweetwater Farm, allows people to join a month at a time so I was able to make the giant leap over to a farm subscription without worrying about a year-long commitment. After just one week we love it, and here’s why:

It’s easy!  Every Thursday we head to a shopping center close to our home to pick up our bag of mystery veggies and fruits.  They’re fresh, mostly local and so very good for us.  I don’t have to run around town to get the best prices or scrub my non-organic veggies to get the sludge off. 

It inspires healthy eating.  My friend Andy lost 18 pounds when she joined her CSA just because she found herself surrounded by glorious wholesome foods and subsequently began eating better each week.  She ended up quitting Weight Watchers but sticking with her CSA.

It gets us out of our comfort zone.  The idea of getting a large bag full of unknown produce was daunting at first, but already we’ve had some amazing meals with cabbage, asparagus, and fingerling potatoes that I wouldn’t have picked up on regular trips to the grocery store.

It exposes our toddler to a variety of produce. He’s still young enough not to stick out his tongue when we pile veggies onto his plate.  If he gets accustomed to eating lots of green stuff now, we may be able to avoid the long “cheese pizza” phase that some youngsters undergo.  (My fingers are crossed!) 

It comes with recipes. Last night I made an amazing frittata with Swiss chard and earlier this week we ate a scrumptious stir fry with cabbage and fresh asparagus.  I NEED weekly ideas for meals so this has been a treat!

It sends money directly to farmers. When we buy produce at the grocery store a tiny fraction ends up in the hands of the people who labored to grow the food.  With a CSA your money goes directly to the grower, so  you are sustaining your local economy, eating organic food for less, and helping the planet. 

We’re certainly spending more than we did on produce, but that motivates us to value our veggies and buy less meat, which happens to be environmentally beneficial as well.  My only regret in joining a CSA is that I didn’t do it sooner. What are your tips for finding good prices on organic fruits and vegetables?  

Because I have a small house and harbor illusions of leading a “minimalist lifestyle,” I wanted to limit the amount of baby gear I bought. When I was pregnant, I kept wondering if I really needed all this stuff: a wipes warmer, a bouncy seat, a swing, a white noise machine, a mobile, an arsenal of how-to-raise-your-baby books, a travel crib, a baby monitor? (The list goes on, but you get the point.) How was I supposed to know? Every time I’d consider not getting something, the consumerist girl scout in me would decide that I just wouldn’t be prepared without it.

After fretting over each purchase or non-purchase for a good three or four months, I had a breakthrough: Yes, I can live without (fill in baby doodad of choice here). And if I can’t, I can always get it later. That’s right! Contrary to popular belief and the aforementioned girl scout motto, you do not need to “be prepared” for every possible baby emergency. Not sure you need a bouncy seat? Don’t get one until you do. You may find, as I did, that you can indeed live without it.

Every parent’s list will be different, but here’s a list of gizmos I never had. My daughter is over two now and hasn’t suffered from deprivation. (She can always sort it out later in therapy, if need be!)

Bouncy seat. My baby slept in a Moses basket for the first six months of her life, so if I needed to set her down, I put her in there.

Baby monitors. Because our house is so small, there is no way I wouldn’t hear her if she cried.

Wipe warmers. We use cloth wipes dampened with a squirt of water from a squeeze bottle. Our baby never seemed to care that the wipes weren’t warm.

Swing. We actually broke down and bought a swing after a week or two of sleepless nights (and days). Unfortunately, the swing didn’t help at all, so it went right back to the store. Joy and her husband made the same sleep-deprived decision, with the same result!

Exersaucer. I knew I didn’t want this huge plastic contraption in my house . . . so I didn’t get one.

Glider. First of all, I find this piece of furniture hideously ugly. Second, I have at least two chairs with a rocking motion. I never missed having a gliding rocking chair.

You may be tempted to register for as much as possible so generous friends and family can pay for it. Remember you can always ask for gift cards if you find the need to stock up later. I didn’t feel like I was scrimping by not buying every item on the Babies-R-Us registry list-I felt resourceful, and my house remained blissfully clutter-free.

When my belly was bulging with baby, I imagined my newborn gulping breast milk from the clearest, most rigid plastic bottles that I chose, thinking that the ones that appeared closest to glass would certainly be the safest.  Months later as I read through the latest research, I was surprised to find out that my instincts were wrong. 

In fact, the rigid plastics used to make some baby bottles and almost all Nalgene bottles have the highest risks of leaching toxins.  (Nalgene will be pulling their BPA-laden bottles soon.)  On Friday, Canada’s health and environmental ministries announced that it will ban the use of bisphenol-a (BPA) in plastic products because of health concerns.  Read here for further details on Canada’s landmark decision. 

Since BPA actually mimics hormones, its use has been linked to possible neural and other health disorders.  The risk goes up if the plastic is repeatedly being exposed to very hot water.  Luckily we don’t have a dishwasher (never thought I would say that!) but we were repeatedly putting hot milk into the bottle and washing it in scalding water.   

After trying more flexible plastic bottles that are supposedly safer, I became concerned when they began to cloud.  Since clouding can be another indication of leaching, I finally switched to a Born Free glass bottle. 

It took awhile for my son to adapt to the new nipple shape, but he now loves it.  The cost is a bit more than other options (around $16.00 each) and the manufacturer recommends replacing the nipple every three months. Since a two pack of nipples cost around $7.00 each, I have to admit that I haven’t been able to bring my frugal self to make the investment in regular replacements.  Roscoe just has a small bottle once a day before bed, so I think he’ll be fine.   (One side-note: Many people wean babies from bottles altogether at one year.  We’re still breastfeeding here and doing a bit of bottle feeding.)

There are, thankfully, far more plastic and glass options out there now than I ever realized that are all BPA, PVC, and Phthalate free. This link has a wonderful array of mainstream and niche brand bottles that are safe for baby with links to the companies’ websites.  Our favorite source for the latest on other non-toxic baby products such as sippy cups and pacifiers is The Soft Landing Blog. 

Ironically, now that I’ve finally figured out a solution to our bottle-feeding woes, I’m about to start weaning.  Knowing what I know now, I would have bought the glass bottles in the first place and avoided several unnecessary purchases. What BPA-free bottles do you use, where did you find them, and how do you like them?  Thanks for filling us in on the best bottles for green babies.  For more tips from Rocks in My Dryer’s Works for Me Wednesday blog carnival, click here. 

Wow, it’s baby’s first Earth Day today!  What will your tot do to ring in the occasion?  What–you haven’t planned it yet?  Here are some last-minute Earth Day ideas to celebrate with your little one.

Plant a tree.  Stick a tree in the ground this Earth Day and watch it grow with your tyke.  My sister and I both had our “own” apricot trees to admire throughout our childhoods.  If every American family planted just one tree, the existing CO₂ in the atmosphere would reduced by one billion pounds annually!

Give a tree.  The Ecobaby Blog had a great idea for a baby shower present: give a tree!  Now you know what to get that special someone today.  For Roscoe’s baby shower Joy received an apple seedling along with a copy of The Giving Tree, which turned out to be her favorite gift.

Volunteer.  Because Joy met her husband at an Earth Day volunteer activity nine years ago, they are planning on taking Roscoe to a work party to promote native species in their local parks.  Let’s hope Roscoe will save more plants than he rips out of the ground.  Here are links to national volunteer projects that coordinate with Earth Day.

Rent a movie.  If you’re experiencing colder-than-usual temperatures this Earth Day, you may not have the motivation to dig a hole in the mud for your carbon-dioxide-zapping tree.  In that case, perhaps an educational movie about the environment would be in order.  Treehugging Family came up with a list of Earth-loving movies for kids and adults.

Make some Earth Day resolutions.  Earth Day is the perfect time to reflect on ecological failings (here are Joy’s and mine) and then make some resolutions for the following year (Joy and I did that here and here).

What will you be doing to celebrate Earth Day?  How will you involve your little one in this eco-revelry?  Post a comment and let us know.  Happy Earth Day, everyone!

Growing up, frugality was more of a lifestyle than a choice. Even though my parents didn’t necessarily practice penny pinching with the environment in mind, many of their cost-saving practices were eco-friendly as well.  My sister and I thought that showering consisted of getting wet, turning off the water to “soap up” and then following with a quick rinse.  We flattened aluminum cans for the recycling bin and took the compost out without any realization that we were helping the environment.  However, through the practice of penny pinching we did learn that our resources are precious.

Although it may sound like I lived a horribly deprived childhood, the truth is that many of our thrifty practices were quite adventurous. Instead of going to Maui, my family spent our vacations camping in Oregon rainforests or visiting relatives, where we often set up sleeping bags on the living room floor.  On car trips we had picnics at rest areas rather than swinging through fast food restaurants.  No one in my family ever belonged to a gym, but we enjoyed nightly moonlit family beach walks near my home to stay healthy and enjoy the outdoors. 

Roscoe Goes Beachwalking 

Now that I’m in my mid thirties, I’ve learned to appreciate my quirky saving skills and all the benefits they’ve brought to me over the years. Having the ability to prioritize my values and then differentiate between wants and needs has been an extremely helpful skill.  I was able to pay off huge graduate school loans in four years on a starting teacher’s salary because of extreme (and sometimes neurotic) tightwaddery. Most of the time, all that penny pinching had huge advantages for the environment as well.  I biked for transportation whenever possible and bought most of my clothing at thrift shops.  To cut grocery costs, I ate very little meat and rarely purchased convenience foods.

As a parent, I find that all that self-restraint ends up providing personal freedom in more ways than one. Financially, it has allowed us the freedom to take more time with our son and relax about the costs of having a child.  We want to model thriftiness and living simply right from the start with Roscoe.

With that in mind, we outfitted most of Roscoe’s nursery with used furniture, dress him in quality hand-me-downs and use cloth diapers.  Roscoe doesn’t eye his crib with disdain and will never care that another soul has worn his clothes before him, but the cost savings are phenomenal.

Even though as a teenager I swore I would live a more luxurious life someday, I now have a great appreciation for my frugal roots.  When Roscoe grows up a bit and resents the simple life, I’ll remind myself that in the long run, we’re giving him the gift of self-reliance, self-restraint, and an environment that’s just a little bit cleaner.

Roscoe Enjoys Cost-Free Fun on The Playground Slide 

Remember when you asked your parents why there was Mother’s Day and Father’s Day but no Kid’s Day?  I felt pretty ripped off when they told me that “Every day is kids’ day.”  But maybe they were right.  Maybe the Earth doesn’t need a special day, either.  After all, every day should be Earth Day, right?  Well, sure, but ever since Senator Gaylord Nelson kicked off our first Earth Day in 1970, April 22 has given us an opportunity to reflect upon our relationship to our fair planet.  I’ve decided to make a few resolutions for the next year so I don’t limit all my conservational efforts to one measly day.

I resolve to convert to eco-friendly cleaning products.  I’ve been doing the research and am coming up with the greenest, cheapest options.  (Stay tuned for my detailed reports.)

I resolve to buy renewable energy from our power company.  According to Green Power Oregon, “In 2007, PGE renewable power customers avoided more than 416 million pounds of carbon dioxide (CO₂) from entering the air, which is the same as taking 37,018 cars off the road!”  I’ve been meaning to do this for a long time but haven’t gotten around to it.  But now it has been resolved!

I resolve to buy carbon offset coupons when I fly.  I know I’ve written about what a great idea this is, but I haven’t actually done it.  Yet.

Okay, so they aren’t much.  They all involve spending a little more money.  I firmly believe that most green lifestyle changes will save money.  I do all sorts of weird things that take time and energy, but I know that every once in a while, I need to loosen the purse strings to help out Mother Earth.  And not just one day out of the year.

What are your Earth Day resolutions?  Let us know!

Having fabric bags on hand makes life so much easier.  It prevents that bulging drawer of plastic or paper sacks from spilling out onto your kitchen floor, alleviates global warming guilt, and may even make you feel a bit proud as you whip them out at the check-out line.  So, how can you get bags for little to no money? 

Ask around:  I’m a teacher and as such, am loaded with canvas shopping bags.  Every educational conference I attend adds to my cache.  See if the people you know have extra fabric bags or don’t use the ones they have.

Visit thrift stores:  If aesthetics aren’t important to you, you can certainly score some canvas bags with cheesy slogans or colors on them.  Hey, their garish colors might make them easier to remember next time you’re headed to the store! 

Make your own:  If you have the time and creative talent, click onto this website to find patterns for sewing up your own grocery bags.  You can score cheap fabric at a thrift store or by getting creative with old curtains.  It just occurred to me that Maria from “The Sound of Music” was actually quite eco-conscious! 

If you end up having to spring for some bags, remember that they’ll save you money in the long run since most grocery stores will give you a few pennies off for each bag.  They’ll quickly earn back their expense and save hundreds of sacks from ending up in the trash.  For more great “Works for Me Wednesday” tips head over to Rocks in My Dryer. 

It takes almost no time to whip up a batch of pancakes from scratch.  Pancakes from a mix are filled with chemicals you don’t want your kids to eat, and they come in packaging you have to recycle or throw out.  For even speedier homemade pancakes, Joy explained how pre-mixing the dry ingredients can save even more time.  

The version I use is adapted from the Joy of Cooking’s basic recipe.  I use 100% whole wheat pastry flour.  The pancake is a fairly versatile food–you can experiment with different flours and milks if your kids don’t eat wheat or dairy.  I’ve even forgotten the eggs and had them turn out all right!

This recipe is suitable for babies and kids over one year old.
 

Whole Wheat Pancake Recipe

Preheat griddle.

Mix together in a large bowl:

1 ½ cups whole wheat pastry flour (or even regular whole wheat flour)

3 tablespoons sugar

1 ½ teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

In another bowl, mix together:

1 ½ cups milk

3 tablespoons butter, melted

2 eggs

Combine wet and dry ingredients, gently whisk together, and cook pancakes on the griddle.

Pancakes are endlessly adaptable.  Add blueberries, raisins, spices, or nuts to boost nutrition or calories.  I make a whole batch and keep leftovers in the fridge or freezer, then reheat them in the toaster oven for quick snacks.  My daughter, who has always hovered at the lower end of the growth charts, can eat up to four pancakes at a sitting.

I think I finally did it: I found an object that embodies the Green Baby Guide’s motto.  The humble pancake saves time, money, and the planet.