• Use a container instead of a bag whenever possible. I used to store cheese in bags—now I put it in a dishwasher-safe container. (And even if I didn’t have a dishwasher, I’d prefer to wash out a container instead of a bag.)
  
• Don’t refrigerate everything. Lately I’ve been leaving whole vegetables out on the counter. Cucumbers, zucchini, cabbage, peppers—all seem to last over a week without refrigeration.
• Get creative with containers. It doesn’t need a “Tupperware” label to work as a container. I stored a watermelon in a 4-quart soup pot (see photo) and leftovers in a lidded sauté pan. Or place a plate over a bowl for a quick storage solution.

Our readers had even more ideas:

• Put fruit and veggies directly in the fridge’s crisper drawers, as Lindsay suggests.
• Make your own bags that can be washed in the laundry, as BB wants to do. Jennifer of Feed Me, Cloth Me suggests sewing them from mesh. You could bring these bags to the store, load up, and put everything straight in the fridge when you got home.
• Use Forever Green bags, as Emily at Little Home recommends. If the bags aren’t filthy, she just shakes them out and uses them again without washing them.
• Try out these reusable, laundry-washable bags from Reusablebags.com, as Larisa, Jennifer, and Eco-novice’s Betsy suggest.
• Choose paper over plastic bags for produce. Ruth suggested this, although she wondered if paper would have just as much impact as plastic. At least brown paper bags are recyclable, unlike all produce bags and Ziplocs.
• Buy some bigger containers for salads and greens. OnMon bought some 14 cup, BPA-free Rubbermaid containers to use for salads. Her washed greens stay fresh for up to ten days in these containers!
• Wash the Ziploc bags in the dishwasher! My initial reason for eliminating Ziplocs was because I hated hand-washing them. Lindsay discovered a gizmo that allows you to wash those bags in the dishwasher. She also recommends this article from the Vegetarian Times with even more tips for keeping fruits and vegetable fresh.

In just a few short months, I’ve drastically cut down on the number of plastic bags that I use. With bag-washing eliminated from my list of domestic duties, I now have significant chunks of free time to devote to setting up wind turbines and making my own tofu. . . .

So here’s my dark confession.. My son, who has worn disposables at night since babyhood, is still in diapers at night.  So even though he used cloth during the day for just a few years since infancy, he has filled the landfills with his nighttime diapers for four full years.  We buy gigantic disposables and he’s managed to still fit in them without moving to pull-ups.  Although we resolutely tried to use cloth at night multiple times, persistent rashes and yeast infections eventually wore us down.

We have tried less fluids, salty foods, waking him at night, letting him wet himself, and using treats for dry diapers, all to no avail.  He’s an extremely heavy sleeper who wakes up a bit frenzied and disoriented in the middle of the night and screams when we ask him to try and pee.

Everything I’ve read indicates that kids may take years to night train.  Even up to six years!  Still, since the rest of the world potty trains far earlier than we do here in America, it seems like the night training thing should be possible.  Do you have any ides to assuage my disposable diaper guilt?  Are you in the same boat?  Help!

Easy Gluten-free Dairy-free Waffles

Mix in a medium bowl:

1 cup white rice flour
2 Tbsp sorghum flour
1 Tbsp tapioca flour
1 Tbsp potato flour
2 Tbsp sugar
1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder

Heat your waffle iron.
In another medium bowl, beat thoroughly:

2 eggs

Add:

1 1/2 cup coconut milk
2 Tbsp canola oil
1/2 tsp vanilla

Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix thoroughly.  When the waffle iron is hot, lightly spray it with oil and spoon or pour a serving of batter onto the iron and cook until the waffle starts releasing less steam.  Serve hot.

For more waffle recipes from the Gluten-free Gourmand (including a buckwheat and corn version), look here.

The Ergo Carrier tops our list, partly because as the name implies, it’s a comfortable carrier that helps you manage baby wearing without back pain.  Since it can carry infants from a few months old through the first few years of their life and be worn both on the front and the back, it will be worth the investment. Young babies can nurse while in the carrier and with the hood flap down, it’s very discrete. There’s also a handy zippered pocket to carry keys and baby paraphernalia.

The Scootababy Baby Carrier can tote infants from five months to three years old and will also transition from front to back with baby’s weight centered on your hip.  It’s gotten rave reviews for comfort the ease with which you can strap baby in.  The waist belt is padded with a stretchy shoulder panel that helps to support the child.

The Moby Wrap and Maya Wrap are far less expensive than the previous carriers, but will require a bit more adjustment than the other two carriers.  The Maya Wrap is a ring sling that will allow you to cinch your baby into place on your chest or hip.  It comes with a DVD to help you learn the multiple ways it can be adjusted and also has a built in pocket for keys or diapers.

Moby Wraps can accommodate tiny premies up to 35 pound children.  The thick fabric allows you to wear your child close to your body in a variety of positions on the front, side or back.  It does require you to do a bit of fabric origami, but doesn’t have a single fastener or clip.

What is your favorite baby wearing device?  For those of us who wore our babies for months and years on end, I know our product loyalty runs deep.  Of course, our children also have to be a part of our shopping decision.  Did you choose a sling or carrier that your infant refused?  Did you wait to buy until your baby arrived and could help you chose the right one?

I could say that I teach my child to resist temptation and make himself happy with sticks, but that isn’t the truth.  My parents tried to teach us not to want stuff by limiting our gifts, which made me think that being resourceful and thrifty was a huge downer.  With my son, I’ve purchased some really fun secondhand stuff so that we keep our budget in check, we recycle, and we show him that living the thrifty green lifestyle can be a grand adventure.  This started with all the garage sale loot for his second birthday.  Virtually all his clothes, toys, and furniture has been purchased used, which seems perfectly normal to him.

The unintended consequences include his addiction to yard sales, his full acceptance of thrift store merchandise, and too many toys.  We pack them up in “treasure boxes” so that they stay in the garage and get rotated out to keep things fresh.  We also give toys away on a regular basis so that he gets the idea that someone else can find them and love them the way he has.

For his birthday this year, I spent about $50 and bought him a new bike, several trucks, (since vehicles are his passion), and a few small new toys.  The total cost of those items new would have been well over $250, but I was able to buy more and better quality by searching for it used.

Is it perfect?  Nope–But I hope it can show him that buying used benefits the environment, our budgets, and our quality of life.  How are you going green with your older child?  Any tips for the rest of us?

The Svan Convertible High Chair, crafted from Birchwood, will last your child from six months until adulthood.  It’s light, stable, and secure.  Your child can sit with the wooden tray or just pull up to the table with the other adults.  It doesn’t fold, but it is compact, light, and looks like real furniture instead of baby gear.

Designed with growth in mind, The Stokke Tripp Trapp Highchair is fully adjustable, and looks more like a child’s chair than a high chair.  It doesn’t have a tray, but it’s simple design allows for the child to pull up to the table and eat just like the grown ups.  The bottom step allows for older babies and toddlers to climb into their chairs themselves while babies can be strapped in with the harness.

The simply designed Keekaroo is very similar to the Stokke in design, but costs quite a bit less.  Although the base model doesn’t include a tray, you can order one separately.  The sturdy frame can accommodate up to 250 pounds, making it possible to use through the teenage years.

If you’re considering the long term function of all that baby gear, these chairs cost about as much or a bit more than a kitchen chair and will provide far more flexibility and resale value.  Do you have a favorite adjustable high chair that we failed to mention?  Do you own one of these?  Have you avoided high chairs altogether? If you’re looking for a wider range of product recommendations, check out our book, The Eco-nomical Baby Guide for an index of green products at every price point—plus tips on how to get the best deals on high quality used baby gear.

Moerman 88346 Laundry Solutions Y-Airer Indoor/Outdoor Folding Clothes Drying Rack 79 Feet Of Drying Space ($45)

Hills Expanding Indoor Clothes Drying Rack Clothesline ($53)

Moerman Laundry Solutions Airer Indoor/Outdoor Folding Clothes Drying Rack ($50)

I went a few years without a tumble dryer at all, and during that time I used something very similar to the first two options. I was able to hang an entire load on one rack, which is more than I can say for my current ones. Also, these more expensive racks allow you to hang wider items such as sheets. If you have tried any of these, please chime in with your reviews!

I’ll be scouring the internet for products that last, not just for multiple children but for many years of your child’s life. After using them for all your children, they should retain a strong resale value. Although I will be especially focusing on high end gear, you can refer to the extensive list of green products in our book, The Eco-nomical Baby Guide for recommendations that fit with varying budgets.

What if you can’t even imagine spending a few hundred bucks on a single item but are picky about having the very best for baby? The key is to search resale shops and online sites for gently used versions our recommended products. You’ll get them for 50-90% off by buying secondhand and be able to resell them for about the same price that you bought them.

Still, if you want to splurge on baby, or have family members who are itching to shell out some dough for your little one, stay tuned for our reviews in upcoming posts!

You save around $.50 and prevent at least a pound of carbon from polluting the planet when you hang a load of laundry to dry. With an indoor drying rack, you can hang laundry year-round, rain or shine! Here are five great options for about $25:

Compact Accordion Clothes Drying Rack ($25)

I have two racks similar to this one. Chrome is definitely preferable to wood, which seems to be less stable and prone to mold.

Household Essentials 5009 Collapsible Indoor Tripod-Style Clothes Dryer ($25)

Household Essentials 5003 Wall Mount Telescoping Indoor Drying Rack ($25)

Polder Two-Tier Free Standing Clothes Drying Rack with Mesh Garment Dryer ($26)

Moerman 88354 Laundry Solutions Over Bath Airer Indoor/Outdoor Folding Clothes Drying Rack 30 Feet Of Drying Space ($22)

If you’ve tried any of these yourself, let us know what you think!

I was almost resigned to accept my flabby-bellied fate until a friend of mine mentioned a diet she had just started.  It had no limitations, but required her to eat avocado, dark chocolate, nuts, olives, or olive oil at every meal.  Since those are some of my favorite foods, I checked out the book The Flat Belly Diet immediately from our local library.

Here’s the diet in a nutshell:  The yummy foods mentioned above are required because they’re high in mono-unsaturated fats (called MUFAS in the diet).  Those fats are known to help keep you full while eating less, thus slowly melting away belly fat.  You eat four 400 calorie meals during the day and always include a MUFA at each sitting.  This means pesto, peanut butter, dark chocolate chips, and guacamole are your mainstays.  Yahoo!

I have dropped ten pounds in a month on this delicious diet!  After feeling as though my scale may have been broken for all those months that the numbers didn’t budge, I’m now rejoicing that weight loss is not only possible, but fun!  The meals keep me satiated and I look forward to each one because the recipes are so delectable.  Since I’m breastfeeding, I do eat an extra spoonful of peanut butter here and there, and am constantly amazed to see the weight keep dropping off.

Although daily exercise is recommended, it’s not required.  I haven’t been able to get in my workouts most days, but am surprised just by how well the weight loss is working just based on eating habits.

Is the diet eco-friendly and budget friendly?  Yes!  Since it’s so full of nuts and seeds, it isn’t overly dependent on meats.  The meats it does recommend are organic and it has several vegetarian options.  It eliminates processed foods (which are both expensive and full of packaging) and focuses on whole foods that aren’t packed with artificial sweeteners or synthetic fiber.   There are also organic packaged foods that you can purchase such as Kashi frozen meals that will do the trick if you don’t have time to cook.  You’ll be surprised to see that the first few days of the diet require cornflakes, but don’t let that throw you off!  They tried to pick transitional foods that people would be comfortable with.

Plus The Flat Belly Diet was written by editors of Prevention magazine, so its focus is on healthy foods that pack nutritional benefits as well as taste.  I’m trying to hold back, but I feel so lucky to have discovered this diet finally.    I still have about five pounds to go before I can button up my old shorts, but it’s nice to know that success is within sight!