AAAk--I forgot about the pullups. DS uses goodnights every night. It got to be a bit much to put cloth diapers on him every night, and maybe I just need to break down and buy a couple of pairs of bedwetter cloth pants for him. He is 5, and I am beginning to wonder if he will ever stop wetting the bed...He has spells of dry nights, or a dry night here or there, but never for long.
__________________ Jody
Mama to two boys (5-10-98 and 6-01-01), and two girls (11-18-03 and 1-11-07)
Location: When I dare to be powerful -- to use my strength in the service of my vision, then it becomes less and less important whether I am afraid.
Posts: 9,525
I once walked through a store with a friend and we were looking at the individually wrapped hotdogs and she said to me "Whats next, disposable bibs?" and we laughed and laughed about how stupid that would be...
Now, sadly, 8 years later, this is a reality. It has become a fast food/single use nation. I have nearly everything reuseable, I have become VERY conscience on this issue, and I still throw away way too much garbage every week. I justify it by saying things like "My neighbors, who are just a couple, have a larger garbage can than we do for a family of 4." and it is true... but it doesn't make my impact less because their's is more. That should give me reason to recycle more, to use more reusable products, not justify the fact that the ones that I don't use... you know?
I use to bring my coffee cup to the espresso bar with me. Then I took a break from coffee and put my reusable cup away... time to get it back out. I threw one of those out today.
Time to think about the little things like that.
I too, run the dish washer once a night. I use my sprinkler system for 10 minutes a night instead of watering the garden with the hose becuase it actually saves us money/water. I do my laundry in the late evening when the water pressure is high and the usage is low. I do all of these things, but I could always do more. Always.
Val
Edit to add: have you seen the "ready to microwave" potatoes? People can't even wrap their potatoes in a towel anymore... they have individually wrapped in plastic potatoes! It is a strange world. Very very strange.
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Val; Living the dream we have been working towards for over 5 years.
Mama to Alex, Cyan, and Logan. Wife to my very best friend.
there is a city locally that doesn't make you pay for your trash pickup
instead...they charge you for their purple trash bags. they only pick up purple trash bags. but the cool thing is that you pay for how much trash you make. although there are plenty of people who don't care...i like to think that makes a bit of a difference.
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~julie~
mama to savannah, jackson and baby scarlett due in 2009! STUFF I HAVE FOR SALE
Location: somewhere between complete exhaustion and utter euphoria
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Ok, they need that here Julie. That would make my mom think. My best friend lived on one of the islands outside Seattle for a while. You had to take your garbage to the dump and you were charged for each BAG, not each time you went. Makes you think. I wish we had better recycling here. I have to take my recycling to work for pick-up.
oh yeah...yogurt containers.
I buy Brown Cow or Clover oragnic yogurt only, and I save the containers and we use them for everything..leftovers, drinking cups, etc, etc.
The name brand scratches off eventually and I scrub the lids and relabel them with a Sharpie, but they are still functional.
I also buy margarine in plstic tubs and reuse the tubs over and over....
I try to not use baggies for much of anything. I have a plastic sandwich container (sort of bread slice shape) for a standard pb n j, and if i cant find a spill proof cup when i brown bag my lunch, i take.. dont laugh.. a sippy cup.
(actually, its not a brown bag, its an insulated soft tiny cooler of sorts).
I simply rinse my stuff out after i finish eating, stuff it all back in my lunchbag and take it all home.
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Becky,
SUPER DUPER single mama to my 2 lovely ladies!
patchouli wearin, dirt lovin, tree huggin, tiedye makin, tofu eatin, belly dancin, festival goin, vegetable growin, tea drinkin, hippy stinkin!
I keep all empty/used containers that are resealable. I used to care because I wanted everything to look uniform, but it's become pleasing to me to see a variety of containers in my cupboard. I love all the different glass jars especially!
Location: When I dare to be powerful -- to use my strength in the service of my vision, then it becomes less and less important whether I am afraid.
Posts: 9,525
Oh yes... I have TONS of glass jars. I slowly started replacing them back when they still sold Mayo in glass jars. They were the best for putting labels on because they have no indentations of their own... now all my small (quart) bulk jars are old mayo jars. I also have pints and other seasoning sizes which I refill from bulk, honey jars (quart that was new to discourage bacteria) which I refill from bulk, half gallons (in which I keep other bulk items such as sugar, protien powder, small shell noodles, etc) and gallons (for larger bulk items like flour, oat meal, rice, etc). LOVE my glass jars... love them! I like everything about them.
the toilet paper isle at walmart is appaling to me. Those disposable pre moistened wipes. Why can't people just use FBW's if they want to wash after going? no no must throw it away.
I'm the rags queen around here. Heck, I've even fallen into my own mothers pattern & started using a cloth to wash the dishes instead of a sponge. I swore I'd never do that (modified: I swear to replace my rag with a fresh one when it gets super nasty) there are kitchen rags & towels, bathroom rags & a big sack of rags in the basement hallway. I can't remember the last time we even had paper towels. I don't know that *I* have ever been the one to buy them.
the 2 things we have currently that are a bone of contention in the disposable issue are the plastic zip top bags & the cans from dog food. There really isn't a way around the cans. The dog must eat & this is what he can & will & it's helping him get healthy again. I just make SO wash them and recycle them afterwards.
As for the plastic bags, I have no alternatives. They get some reuse, and we're not going through more than a box of 100 every yr -8 months. Still I like having them around to toss a sandwich in for DD when we're running out the door or to toss extra chopped vegies in for use later. Cans & jars take up to much space when not in use. My kitchen just doesn't have that kind of extra storage.
finally, since I'm thinking about it. I have to cheer for SO's new employer. They are an HVAC parts supplier & get this, They don't have a dumpster! The boss is crazy about recycling. They recycle all the scrap metal, messed up pieces & cardboard packaging. What's even cooler is that the boss drives a hybrid truck!
Chole
__________________ 18th century Mama to a exciting 8yr old, SO to a graphic novel guy
Location: firmly planted in the postmodern pastoral economy
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This is a great thread. We use very similar strategies to Laurie/mamax4 to keep dishes down (no dishwasher though). Reuse glasses through the day, reuse or quick-rinse a plate, etc. Not anything unsanitary but it sure does help cut down on wash.
I have to use paper towels for my son's nebulizer, but try to keep it to that. Literally have to - as stupid as it is. Like Kathleen I will also use them for totally gross things like dog barf.
Um, "ready to microwave" potatoes?!?!??!? No. Way. I guess I'm out of the loop, LOL! I love living in the sticks where I don't even see these things. What killed me last year was when I tried to buy some readymade cookie dough, just wanting a roll of sugar cookie dough, as the leader of the girl scout troop had asked me to buy it, but they had sheets of precut cookies! Um, where is the fun in that?
We do use Goodnites every night for Jake. Otherwise I would be washing sheets like mad - as it is I use a reusable cotton absorbent/waterproof pad under him as he often leaks through that. I do not feel guilty about using Goodnites. Oh and for those who are wondering when the bedwetting stops: with my dd it was just after she turned seven years old. I thought it would never end, but it did; it just took longer than I thought it would!
We still make too much garbage. I need to compost more of my kitchen scraps - currently I only compost as I cook/prepare, and plates and coffee grounds go in the trash. Silly, but I just need to get a bucket set up at this house, and a place for compost to go where my dog can't get into it. For anyone else who is interested in composting, on the 23rd I'm going to a workshop on how to have composting worms *inside* in winter! (I'm assuming I'll have a worm box in the basement and compost scraps into that.) Just think - come spring instead of having paid for all that garbage removal we'll just have wonderful earthworm castings to use in the garden!
Choleblack, you crack me up - I recently ditched the kitchen sponge. I wanted to a long time ago but dh was grossed out by the thought of using a cloth instead. After he read "Not Buying It" (in which she describes this totally off the grid guy who uses an old sock filled with nasty old soap bits that's been hanging off his faucet for years, LOL) he finally caved. When his mom came to visit she was *aghast.* "WHAT, NO SPONGE?!??!?!?" I said, "Nope, that's what the cloth is for, we use a new one every day." She was just floored. And she would not wash the dishes with it! Grrrrrrrrrrr.....but fine, whatever!
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Location: somewhere between complete exhaustion and utter euphoria
Posts: 5,883
I used a sponge until I started knitting. Now I knit my dishcloths the size I want them and they dry fast. I can't stand to touch something cold and wet. Ick!
Location: firmly planted in the postmodern pastoral economy
Posts: 13,290
Quote:
Originally Posted by juliebelle
so what's gross about using a cloth instead of a sponge????
Beats me! I guess some think it is less sanitary, but honestly sponges gross me out way more. And when I tried to microwave it to kill germs I often burned it, LOL!
Location: When I dare to be powerful -- to use my strength in the service of my vision, then it becomes less and less important whether I am afraid.
Posts: 9,525
I am still a sponge girl... but I use it way less often than I use my bamboo scrubing stick. I LOVE that thing. A little soap and the scrubing stick go a LONG way! (Esp when you only have stainless steal and glass... nothing sticks to that if you wash everyday. )
But for the dirtier jobs, I like my sponges. One will last me 6 months, and I run it through the dishwasher on hot once a week or so with my dishes. It never smells. I used to cut them in half like I cut my dryer sheets in thirds, but I discovered that I used it quicker that way... lol... so I stoped. You learn strange things on this path to becoming less of a consumer.
Ditto on all of the above
When we shop its scary the amount of plastic carp they sell these days, peoples yards are full of it for the kids to play with for 5 minutes until they want the next tv craze.
We were sorting out our HUGE recycling pile yesterday (I recycle everything lol) I was so proud of my kids especially my 9yr old dd, they put so much effort into sorting it out with me. I am sure they will carry this onto their children. I hope I have opened their eyes to why plastic is bad and about advertising etc.
I try and find comfort in the future through our children, I dont beleive it will always be like this. We have to teach them well, against the mass merchandise thats just there for company profits.
It will only get worse before it gets better, t has to for people to wake up
Jody
Tawnya, your memory lives on in your children.
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