Back when I began cloth diapering, new fangled products like Go Green Diapers, Rumparooz, and Lil Joey Diapers didn’t even exist. Now I find myself in green baby boutiques, playing with the velcro closures and almost wishing that I was back in the glory days of diapering.

Have you fallen in love with any new cloth diapering brands? Are you loyal to old favorites like Bummis, Charlie Banana, or Fuzzibunz? Or are you perfectly happy with prefold diapers and plastic pants?

We have nearly fifty thousand readers hitting our site on a monthly basis and many of them are new to cloth diapering. Please share your insights on which cloth diapers have worked best for your family!

I should disclose that I started with Bummis and prefolds and then fell deeply in love with Fuzzibunz and Charlie Banana. The snap diapers held up much better, especially with my second child and they were incredibly easy to get on and off.

The pile of towels we bought new eight years ago was perfectly viable, except for the dingy mint color that evolved through hundreds of washings. In my frenzy for a peaceful domestic space, I longed to buy a new set but realized that there must be some way to freshen up what we have. I was missing a few hand towels, but found some in a similar faded green at a thrift store for less than a dollar. I figured that the dye might help the whole lot look like more of a set.

After spending eight bucks on Rit Dye and one hour hastily attempting to dye the towels in a front loading washing machine, I had achieved my goal.

How did I do it? The truth is that I am the opposite of Martha Stewart. There wasn’t a studious perusal of instructions or a table laid with carefully chosen towel dying tools. I just tossed the towels in the wash and mixed up the dye in an old waste basket full of hot water. When I dumped it (clumsily) into my front loading washer, there was some spillage, but I started the load on hot and hoped for the best.

I then did several hot loads without soap. When I first pulled the towels out, I was sure I had ruined them. They looked a bit streaky and sad. I then washed them for about five more loads on hot with soap. After a quick toss in the dryer, I have to say they are gorgeous. They’re a bright stem green looks fantastic against my purple bathroom walls. My husband, who often has to suffer through my strangely creative ideas, has mentioned how great they look at least five times already.

If you decide to take on this feat, you should know that a top loader would have been far easier for dyeing. Also, I didn’t use the dye fixative and have found that there has been some very slight leakage on one piece of laundry in the wash. (Luckily it was just a rag.) The RIT dye instructions also call for using two cups of salt with the dye, but I had just a half cup.

I suppose you could even cobble together a collection of white towels secondhand and then dye them any color you’d like if you were feeling adventurous. The nice thing about my case was that there was no failure. If I ruined the towels, it would have been time to spring for new ones. If I saved them, victory!

In short, if I can do this project, despite my very limited attention to detail and my total lack of preparation, anyone can!

Ten years ago we choose Fiestaware dishes for our wedding registry and have enjoyed them ever since. They’re sturdy, classic, and scratch resistant. Amazingly, most of the eight place settings we originally received have made it through our children’s early childhoods in great shape.

It occurred to me the other day that the dishes that have been lost have all been small salad plates. They’re the perfect size for my children, they don’t take up as much space in the dishwasher, and they help me control my portion sizes. Suddenly I realized that if I bought more of them, (we have just six) that I could get double the number of plates into the dishwasher.

Plus, I could chuck the random plastic plates (drawn by yours truly on white circular paper and sent into a plastic plate-making factory approximately 30 years ago) that we use when we utterly run out of everything else. The whimsical drawings make me smile, but the toxins lurking in antique plastic can’t be good. Now I use the plastic plates as air tight lids in my bokashi bins and not for my children’s food!

I ordered some new fiesta salad plates but also picked up a stack of eight perfect Ikea plates at a thrift store for less than four bucks. I love buying used, real dishes for the kids because I’d rather have them eating off of a ceramic surface than plastic, and when it’s purchased secondhand I don’t care so much about the occasional breakage. Since my small plate revelation, my cupboard is cleaner, the dishwasher is fuller, and I experience small hits of bliss every time I glance at the kitchen shelf. Not bad for a day’s work!

About four years ago, I set off on a daring mission to get rid of plastic, one step at a time. In pursuit of this goal, I have amassed an impressive collection of glass containers and I do love them for the following reasons:

1. They are pretty. I can take them to a party and use them as a classy, glassy serving dish. I wouldn’t dare serve something out of plastic. Tacky!
2. They are nonporous. That was a big part of the point, right? No BPA, no phthalates. Just pure glass that won’t leach chemicals into my food.

My Lara Bar imitation in recycled glass

But all wonderful things have a dark side. Here are some hidden truths about my glassware:

1. Glass breaks and chips. What?! Yes, it’s true. I’ve lost a few dishes to slippery hands and hard floors.
2. They are heavy. Not too practical to pack your kid’s lunch in five pounds of sparkling glass containers.
3. My mismatched glassware doesn’t stack and store easily. Now I’m being picky. But with only so much storage space in my kitchen, I’ve sacrificed some prime real estate for my clunky containers.
4. They’re not airtight. Now this might be a deal breaker. My glassware comes with plastic lids, many of which don’t fit as snugly as I’d like.

My shocking conclusion: While I continue to love my glass containers, I’ve come to appreciate my BPA-free plastic containers. Both Glad storage containers and Ziploc containers store and seal well. My six-year-old can open and close them herself without incident. Also, if you lose a lid or something, the containers are recyclable.

School lunch nestled in plastic

What do you think? Can glass and plastic containers coexist in my kitchen?

About six weeks ago I woke up and suddenly craved order, beauty, and domestic peace. It’s not that I hadn’t longed for those things during the past six years of childrearing, but I realized quite suddenly that we were beyond those sleep deprived days. We had the time now to invest in simple, frugal, and green steps to better enjoy our household space.

That day, I went to a thrift store and began my journey to greater household order. I bought two wicker baskets at a whopping cost of three bucks total. Why do I love the wicker-baskets-from-a-thrift-store solution? It’s aesthetically more appealing than plastic containers, it is made from natural ingredients which are being reused, and it’s so very, very cheap!

Then I decided to tackle the top of our fridge. In the lovely image above you’ll see craft items, sewing materials, and random bits all piled up to welcome me on a daily basis, and fall down at least a few times a week when someone opens the freezer door.

In a matter of five minutes, the items were tucked into baskets that can be pulled down for projects whenever they are needed. No more standing on a chair to search past the pens for the ball of red yarn!

Here is our art basket, replete with scissors, paper, stickers, pens and glue. Kids now have a place to put supplies whenever they are done, but I love that markers will be out of reach for my two-year-old.

My sewing supplies, which were once stuffed into an old Easter basket with needles spilling out of each side, is now vastly easier to manage. And it’s far more accessible than it was when it was stored in the linen closet.

I suppose it would have been even better if the baskets matched exactly in shape and size, but I’m more excited that we’ve made progress on a persistent and annoying household problem! Hooray for simple, green thrifty solutions that make domestic life just a tad sweeter!

For the past five years, I have admired people who coax seeds into lush vegetable gardens but have never felt I had the gardening skills to take the leap. Instead we spent around $50 each year on starts. Then, at an organic seed sale, it occurred to me that with an investment of less than five bucks and one used egg carton, my kids would enjoy the experience of trying to start our vegetable garden from scratch. If any of the seedlings survived, perhaps it would help my kids to bond with vegetables more deeply and actually embrace sauteed zucchini sometime this summer.

Did I do thorough research before beginning? Not in any way. I knew that the seeds needed sunlight, a warming pad, and lots of water. Other than that, we’re flying blind.

First Roscoe worked on the labels for each plant. He carefully drew out the letters and a quick picture of the plant. We covered his label with scotch tape so that it wouldn’t fade during waterings and attached it to a toothpick.

Then the kids dumped spoonfuls of dirt into an egg carton with eighteen compartments. This was messy and thoroughly fun for everyone.

Then we tucked each seed into the soil in the labeled compartment. The kids guessed before we opened the packets about the size and shape of each seed.

Finally we put our egg carton into a casserole dish and placed it on a heating pad next to a window. There is a squirt bottle nearby that is used frequently to water the seeds or for a weapon in sibling squabbles.

I also made little cards with numbers so that the kids can change out the cards on each day to see when the seeds germinate. Which ones come up first? (And, most likely) which ones are a total failure? I think we’ll do it every year, even though we may not ever be completely successful. I’m also hoping that all the care and coddling of these plants will lead my kids to enjoy gardening–and maybe even broccoli.

Mine isn’t. In fact, I’m completely plastic-dependent. A few nights a week, we tuck sandwiches and fruit into tiny plastic lunch containers to be toted off to four different locations the following day. And we stow leftovers in plastic, glass or ceramic bowls with tight fitting lids.

The good news is that I’ve barely used the roll of plastic wrap that has buried in the bottom drawer for the last six years. We steer clear of sandwich bags and even use Zip-locks sparingly.

The not-so-great news is that our plastic containers have had heavy use for years and were made before BPA-free plastic even existed. I know it’s time to replace them. But would it be possible to use only glass or stainless steel from now on? Or should I just go for the safer plastics on the market?

Because of weight and function, the only product that seems just as easy as plastic is stainless steel containers. I want a product that will nest on the shelves, and fit easily into lunch boxes for school. The Kids Konserve Nesting Trio of Stainless Steel Containers is on sale for $20-which isn’t nearly as inexpensive as plastic, but feels a bit safer.

Have you managed to live without plastic? What is your food storage system of choice and how does it work with home-packed lunches? Thanks for your feedback!

Tightwad. Skinflint. Cheapskate. Penny Pincher. I’ve been called all the thrifty names in the book, and been proud of the way the reduce, reuse, and recycle mantra has fit into our family life. But what happens when it’s healthier for your home environment to spend a little money on greener products?

In my case, my decision making goes incredibly slowly. I do research, I take polls of friends, family, and greenbabyguide readers, and finally I make small decisions to replace some of our possessions with healthier alternatives.

My current pursuits include a healthier food storage system (since our decade-old plastic containers were made before there was an awareness of BPA in plastic) a greener non-stick skillet, and cloth napkins that are actually nice enough to be used by guests. Our napkin current set was purchased eleven years ago and now has faded from green and yellow to a rather dingy grey. Also, there is no way I would ever iron my napkins, but they emerge from the laundry as wrinkled messes that aren’t much fun to display.

So here is my poll:

1. Do you too struggle with spending money on healthier kitchen ware when your current stuff seems useable?
2. Do you have a food storage system that works wonders for you? (Even when you have to pack multiple lunches with tiny containers?)
3. Do you have a cast iron or porcelain skillet that you’d love to recommend?
4. Are there such things as wrinkle-free cloth napkins that aren’t horrible polyester? Have you managed to make some yourself for your family?

Thanks so much for helping me to overcome my thrifty habits and invest in some replacement items that will truly last!

Pregnancy and breastfeeding motivated me to find safer, and often greener methods for cooking and storing food. But the recycler in me had a very hard time tossing the high quality Circulon skillet we’d received for our wedding. We’re still using it, but I’m finally ready to invest some money in a healthier option. And I’d love to hear your input!

Stainless Steel Skillets seem entirely safe, but I’m so used to having a non-stick surface that the transition may be tricky. I also worry that I’d be using lots more oil in my cooking just to avoid burning food while sautéing.

I’m intrigued by Bialetti Aeternum Skillets that use a nano-ceramic nonstick coating. They are made of aluminum with a silicone exterior and are free of PFOA, PTFE and cadmium. Still, one one pan costs about $40.00 and they can’t be used in the oven.

At this point, my top choice is a cast iron skillet. The one above made by Lodge Logic is pre-seasoned and I know my mom’s trusty cast iron skillet still works like a non stick surface after a decade of use. Plus I’d love to get small doses of extra iron in my food while I cook. Cast iron works in the stovetop and the oven at all heats and costs just $22.95 for a 12 inch skillet. Am I missing something, or is cast iron the obvious choice?

While I’m greening my kitchen, I may also toss all my old tupperware that could have BPA in it to find a safer and more uniform system. Stay tuned for my review of food storage options!

Just five years ago, I was shocked to see that major manufacturers weren’t making more BPA-free baby products. Now, you can wander down the aisles of any big box store and find dozens of shiny plastic goods with BPA-free labels. But what can you find beyond your basic BPA-free plastic baby dishes?

Green Sprouts has several options for baby dishes including the one above, made from a cornstarch based biodegradable plastic. It’s BPA and phthalate free but can’t be used in the dishwasher or microwave.

Fresh Baby’s Divided Dish is made of stainless steel, which can be washed on the top shelf of the dishwasher. It’s safe for the freezer, but obviously not the microwave. It’s snap-on lid makes it convenient for toting snacks or transporting meals to daycare. It’s also BPA, lead, melamine and phthalate free.

And now for my all time favorite…the custard cup. It’s made of thick, nearly unbreakable glass, it will be useful once your tot outgrows baby food, and it is usually microwave, dishwasher, freezer and, oven safe. Unlike many other food containers jumbled into your cupboards, custard cups are stackable and compact. Many styles come with snap on plastic lids that make them instantly into small tupperware containers. (Double check to make sure the lids are BPA and phthalate free as well.)

What are your favorite eco-friendly dishes for baby? How have they held up over many meals of mashed yams and applesauce? Did you even get baby dishes or just work with what you already had?