Our Green House: RECYCLE

I cannot believe I have not posted in two weeks. Life got crazy with Easter, Spring Break, and our household getting sinus infections.

Welcome to part three of my series on Our Green House: RECYCLE.

If you missed part one and two of this series, REDUCE and REUSE, go back and check it out as some of the things we do could also be counted towards the RECYCLE category.

1. When I think of recycling the first thing that comes to mind is the city sponsored recycling cans that are provided for trash day. This constitutes a lot of our recycling. I try to throw as much of the paper, cardboard, glass and plastic waste as I can into the city-recycling bin. I admit that it is much easier to toss all those empty cereal boxes and yogurt containers into the kitchen trashcan, but we are making an effort. I need to get a cute something to put on the back porch to collect clean dry recyclables to make it easier on myself, but I haven’t gotten around to it yet. Any suggestions?

2. When the kids and I pick up the mail in the late after noon we make a pit stop at the recycling bin and throw in everything we don’t need in the house. This includes opening up the bills and tossing the return envelope inserts. I would like to toss the bills too, but I have a feeling that wouldn’t work.

3. I wish I could say I have eliminated the use of aluminum cans at our house, but my favorite drink, Diet Coke with Splenda (DC w/S as I affectionately call it), is only sold in cans. Since it is necessary for my children’s health and well being, I try to minimize the impact of all those cans by recycling them. The boys love helping with this, which is good, because I go through a lot of DC w/ S. We bought two Oscar the Grouch style garbage pails at Home Depot just for recycling aluminum. When they fill up we take the cans to the recycling center to get the CRV. This is the only thing we recycle for money. It is easy to do, and I want to teach the kids that there is value in stuff that is easily thrown away. We take the money and put it in our recycling jar. I won’t tell you how much money is in that jar. It is embarrassing how much Diet Coke with Splenda I drink.

4. Diaper boxes are put in the garage and used for castoffs, either to friends or to be donated. They are sturdy, hold quite a bit, are easy to transport, and stack nicely in the garage. We always have an empty diaper box on hand. Now that I only have one child in diapers I have a feeling this will change soon.

5. I could re-list a lot of the things I mentioned in the reduce and reuse installments of Our Green House, but that would be double dipping. Go back and read those posts if you missed them.

Since this is the last post in the series there were a few things that I thought deserved mentioning:

1. Composting- Composting is great for the environment and your garden. I have thought about trying it so many times but have yet to take the plunge.

2. Rain Water Collection- We don’t get a lot of rain in SoCal, but if I lived somewhere with rain I would love to do this. It is a great way to water your garden. I really miss a good summer thunderstorm!

3. Cloth Diapers- I am NOT PREGNANT (you can breathe now, Mom)- but if I were I would give some serious thought to cloth diapering. I wanted to try it with Coco, but we had Cecilia coming 2-3 times a week when I worked and I didn’t think it would be fair to her. Plus Patrick laughed at me when I suggested it. I think Franklin would have really benefited from it as he often had a diaper rash. They make a lot of great products nowadays to make cloth diapering easier, and there is a financial benefit, especially if you cloth diaper more than one child.

That’s it. This series is done. Don’t cry. I may post a recipe that involves booze next time! Thanks for reading and remember to comment if you are so inclined.

Our Green House: REUSE

First, I have to say THANK YOU to all the readers who sent me email feedback about my first post in this series. I love hearing from you and please remember, it is ok, and actually encouraged, to leave comments here! I don’t bite- unless you happen to be a dark chocolate covered vanilla Dove bar, then all bets are off!

Now, on to today’s main feature, part two of the Our Green House series: REUSE!

1. I package as much as I can in Snapware or similar storage containers. I do like to freeze things like bread items and fruit/veggies in freezer bags, but I will reuse a bag numerous times before I need a new one. I have about four empty freezer bags in the freezer door waiting to be filled up. I hate spending money on plastic stuff. Remember, I’m cheap.

2. I also pack Vincent’s lunch in reusable containers, including his water in a thermos. He knows to put it back in his lunch box when he is done eating. As an added bonus, I can see how much he ate at lunch because he doesn’t think to throw out what is left- he just wants to play. Environmental friendliness and remote helicopter mommy all wrapped in one Toy Story lunch box.

3. I bring my own reusable grocery bags when I shop. I don’t let them put the meat or dairy in the bags because I am freaky like that, and I wash the bags after a few trips. I figure this is still better than having my groceries packed in disposables every time.

4. As a family, we have stopped using disposable plastic water bottles. I have to admit; the paranoia about what exactly is in those water bottles has gotten to me a bit. Scientists claim that they are safe for the initial amount of water sold in the bottle, but recommend you not refill them at home. As much as it disappoints Vincent, I’m no scientist (nor do I play one on TV) but I am a little leery of the first use too, if the second one is bad enough to warrant a warning. We all have reusable water bottles. The kids still use their sippy cups as well. We filter the water in the fridge door. I use tap water for cooking so the kids get their city-sponsored fluoride. This works for us, and again, I’m not buying water at the store. Cheap.

5. I am a big lover of hand-me-downs! I have a few friends who have given me great stuff for the children. I appreciate this so much. I get as much use out of them as I can and then pass them on to someone I know could use them, or I donate. If you are looking for a good place to make your donations try AmVets. I know they are in SoCal, and probably other places too. They are very reliable, very kind, and they are helping our veterans!

If you missed part one of this series, REDUCE, go back and check it out as some of the things we do could also be counted towards the reuse category. I love two-for-one deals, don’t you!

Next in the series is RECYCLE. I promise not to just copy and paste this post! Get it?

Thanks for reading!

Our Green House: Reduce

In recognition of Earth Day, which is Friday, I thought I would post some of the things we do around our house to be kinder to the earth. Believe me, I have not turned into a fruity tree hugger- not that there is anything wrong with that- I am a realist. I am never going to have a zero (much less negative) carbon footprint, but there are things I try to teach the kids that I hope will make them more responsible people in general, and help the environment a little too.

This is part one of a three part series. Can you guess what parts two and three are going to be titled?

This is not anything ground breaking people (no pun intended), but here is what we do:

1. In an attempt to reduce the amount of paper waste we consume, we use cloth napkins at meals as well as kitchen towels for hand drying and cleaning up the counters and table. I still buy paper towels for the convenience of people who watch my children when I am not home, but in general they are only reserved for nasty messes caused by something greasy (think bacon), the dogs, or sick kids. If I use a whole roll in a month I am saddened. We also use real plates, instead of paper. For a larger family I can see the convenience of paper, but when I was growing up, paper plates were reserved for large themed parties. An added benefit of using cloth and real plates in the kitchen is that I am not spending money at the grocery store for paper products. I’m cheap like that.

2. To further reduce our paper consumption, I pay all our bills electronically. I usually write only two checks a month- one to the preschool and one to the gardener. I had to write an additional check to the parks and recreation department this month because they charge a convenience fee to process your debit card. I thought about going into their office with my three hungry and tired children and paying them their $85 with coins to passively aggressively show my outrage, but I wrote a check instead. I have not stopped receiving paper bills- I know that is the next step, but I am so anal that I fear I will miss one if it is sent electronically, and Patrick is not a fan of cold showers.

3. Somewhere along the line, my address must have been sold to every catalogue company known to man. I cannot tell you how many unwanted crap catalogues I get in the mail every week. Pottery Barn- I am NOT referring to you. I don’t know why this irritates me so much, but it is a total pet peeve. I have found the greatest website to reduce the number of unwanted catalogues I get: catalogchoice.org. It is totally free (but you can make a donation if you wish) and all you have to do is enter the names of the catalogue you don’t want and they send a stop request to the company on your behalf. I have the site bookmark on my desktop and when a new catalogue comes I take it strait to the computer to enter in catalogchoice. I highly recommend!

4. We continue to work on reducing energy use and costs by turning off the lights when we leave a room, as well as turning off our electronic toys when we are done playing with them. I try to run the air and heat only when necessary. The dishwasher seems to always be full, so it is easy to run only full loads. There always seems to be laundry to do, but I try to make sure my loads are as full as possible. I would love to line dry sheets and blankets, but V and Patrick have allergies.

5. In an attempt to reduce the amount of unnecessary chemicals in the house, I am slowly moving toward green cleaning products. I like the Clorox Green line a lot. It is all I use in the kitchen. The spray is great on the table and granite. I have even used it on the cabinets and knobs. I buy big refill bottles at the hardware store so I am not buying another spray bottle each time. Instead of using a rinse agent in the dishwasher, I pour some vinegar into the dishwasher when I start the cycle. It does a better jab than Jet Dry and it is cheaper and natural. I use vinegar and water for mirrors and Method Little Bowl Blue toilet cleaner. Most cleaning is done with washable rags and micro fiber cloths. Unfortunately, I still have a love of (maybe obsession with) Clorox wipes. I use them everyday to wipe down the bathrooms. I am sure there is something greener I could replace them with but I live with boy. Boys are nasty. I like to wipe up nasty and throw it away. I am however, open to suggestions. (Clorox has not paid me for these comments, but I would totally accept a case of their cleaning products if anyone has an in with them).

6. We have an edible garden. You already know this because I like to blog about it, but it is also a way for us to reduce the amount of pesticide treated produce we buy. The kids love working in the garden and will eat anything they have grown themselves. Even beets. I swear.

7. To reduce the amount of overpriced fuel we use, I strategically plan my shopping trips so that I am driving as little as possible. This often means running errands on the way to and from Vincent’s school, as that is usually the longest trip I make each week. Patrick who commutes 420 miles per week for work thwarts my efforts, but we have no way around that. This blog certainly isn’t paying the bills!

8. In general, I try not to buy extra “stuff”. My wardrobe is totally suffering because of this, but I hate clutter. If it something we don’t need, don’t use often, or don’t love, it does not have a place in our home.

9. I wish I could say our small cozy cottage is a reflection of environmental activism, but that is a product of the economy. Can I still claim it?

10. Some other things you might want to consider doing to reduce are using handkerchiefs instead of Kleenex, a family cloth instead of TP, carpooling, biking, walking, thrift-shopping, and ladies- check out the Diva Cup. I have to draw the line somewhere, so I don’t use/do any of these things, but I wouldn’t think you were crazy if you choose to. OK- I would think you were crazy if you did the family cloth thing, but otherwise, you are completely normal and super environmentally conscious!

This was long. And it lacked photos of children and food. If you are still here, thanks!

Join me later in the week for parts two and three of Our Green House!