Something not so new and different

First off, I know it's been ages since CK, Fancy, Farmer John and I have posted anything new on the blog. Things have been crazy busy, I guess!

Anyway, I was talking to a friend the other day about something that is not so new and different. The topic of our conversation debate was...cloth diapers!

(Image from Parenting By Nature via Google Images)

Now, I try to be as green as possible whenever I can. I think Hubby and I do a pretty good job at being environmentally conscious. I was telling a friend that I am seriously thinking of going the route of cloth diapers (as much as I can and when I can) when our little one arrives.

First, the reaction was more like "ICK!" and then a debate ensued. I was merely stating that I didn't want to fill up landfill space with my future baby's disposable diapers. My friend argued that the energy and water used from all the extra laundry would be worse (I think she said "more wasteful") than throwing the diapers in the dump. I see her point and it's sort of a "catch 22" situation. I can see arguments for both.

I was concerned about all that landfill space used for disposable diapers and the volume of trees and plastics used to make disposables. My thinking was that by reusing and recycling (by way of cotton diapers), we wouldn't be using up more of the earth's resources. We would, however be consuming more water and energy to wash the diapers. The question remains, what is worse for the environment?

Whichever diaper practice one opts for, it will no doubt leave a mark on the earth. But if you think of it, even by just existing, we are using up the earth's resources. We can try to reduce our consumption of resources, reuse and recycle. I'm not saying that I'd never use disposables because I probably will (like when traveling or when not at home). I just think that people should do what they feel is best for them and their families, while trying to tread lightly on the earth.

What do you think is more environmentally friendly? Cloth or Disposable? Which would you choose?

Stop!!! Don't Throw That Away!!!

Hi! It's Chrissy...again!
I realize I just posted the other day and don't mean to be such a blog hog, but I just thought of something interesting to share! I also figured that if I didn't post about it now, I'd forget what it was that I wanted to say! ;)

A few years ago, I was reading an article in a green magazine (the name now escapes me) that the average North American household should have very little garbage due to recycling and composting. Since many cities have recycling, most of our glass, plastics, papers and tins can be recycled. Since organic matter can be composted, that leaves very little "actual" garbage to fill the landfills. Right?

Most people I know have been quite diligent about their recycling habits. Some cities even have "wet garbage" collection and when I lived in Toronto, our municipality also offered composters to its residents! They were these big drum-like contraptions where you put all your organic waste in and it turned it into rich, healthy compost for your garden.When I lived in Montreal, I practiced vermicomomposting. It wasn't too difficult to do and the worms were surprisingly not icky at all! I'm a big wuss when it comes to creepy crawly things, but I had no problems with these wormies! The worms I used were called red wigglers. They were extremely efficient at converting household waste into nutrient rich fertilizer. Under the right conditions, the worms pretty much take care of themselves! Of course, you need to maintain the bins, but you will be happy to know that there are no stinky odours if you manage your vermiculture properly.

I gave up my vermicomposting when I moved from Montreal to Toronto. I discovered that my dad had used my red wigglers to feed his fancy goldfish (Japanese Ryukins and Orandas) and to go fishing! He used me $30/1 lb worms for bait!!!

If you are a bit uncomfortable handling worms, then there are other ways to compost. My grandfather always kept a handmade compost bin by his garden and he and my grandmother were very diligent at composting their fruits and veggie scraps every day.

Here on the Island, I just put my fruit & veggie scraps on the far side of my garden, where I have a compost heap. However, if you live in the city and don't have any place or room to compost in your backyard, you can try something like this:
You can compost in your own kitchen! This can be done year-round and it's good for the environment! This particular composter is called the Nature Mill PRO Indoor Composter. Even though I already compost in my garden, I'm almost tempted to get one of these babies!

The company even has a Pet-Friendly Nature Mill to dispose of pet waste. This is something I am looking into because I've been trying to find an earth-friendly way to dispose of the waste from our beloved feline and canine babies! This may just be it! The price is a bit steep, but I haven't had much luck in finding many green ways of disposing of that nasty cat and dog poop!

Another Way To Recycle Paper

Hi everyone! It's C again. Don't you just love CK's and Fancy's new green blog? I sure can't get enough of it! ;)

I was just looking at the heaps of paper (newspapers, flyers, handouts, brochures, etc) that are in our office. Though I am a firm believer in recycling, I also believe that recycling should be the last "R" out of the 3 R's (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle). As Fancy had mentioned in her last post, it takes energy to recycle (plastic bottles, paper, glass, and aluminum cans). Not only do recycling plants require the usage of energy, but there are by-products from the process of recycling as well. It's a good option, but in my opinion, not our first option.

Of course, you can be smart like my mother-in-law, and request that the post office not send you any flyers, catalogues or "junk mail". I have to admit, I am terrible that way. I actually love perusing the flyers to see what's on special or just for the sake of looking at things I may or may not be interested in purchasing.

When I was 13, I began to get worried about our environment. I visited a recycling plant with my school and saw mountains and mountains of paper to be recycled. What alarmed me the most was the sheer volume of paper! I decided that I would try to make my own paper to cut down on the amount of paper waste in our household. Of course, my little effort would only be a drop in the bucket in terms of reducing paper waste. In our house, we also reused paper. We had a bin of "scrap paper" that was used for notes, working out math problems, etc.

Anyway, my thought was...Why not turn this:

into this?
To make your own paper, all you need is:
-paper of all sorts (computer paper, newspaper, flyers, even bits of magazines can work...just watch out of the ink used on the paper because they can bleed or make your paper look grey if you choose newsprint)
-a screen, framed by wood would be ideal (if you can get an old window screen, that works well)
-water
-a blender
-liquid starch (optional...and I've used cornstarch before)
-a basin or tub

First, tear up little shreds of paper and put about a handful into your blender. You need to fill the blender with WARM water and then start to blend on low. You can go on a higher/faster speed later on when the paper pulp looks like it has started to blend well (when it's no longer "lumpy"). To make things even more unique or to add your own personal touch to your paper, you can add in some flower petals or leaves. A little greenery is always pretty. If you are using liquid starch, add it in next. Mix well.

Next, pour your pulp over your screen and press so that the water drains from your paper. When you've gotten the excess water out, remove your handmade paper from the screen and lay it to dry on something that will absorb the water. I've used newspaper or a towel. Some people hang the sheets on a clothesline or use a hairdryer to dry them faster.

The end result is beautiful handmade paper. It's a fun activity to do with your kids (or in my case, with my students). Not only will you be creating something beautiful that can in turn be reused (they make pretty cards and are great for scrapbooking), you will be teaching your kids about reusing, recycling and how to tread lightly on the earth we live on.

(Images borrowed from Google Images)

A great green site..and some super bottles

Hi everyone! Fancy here!

Looking for some help to greenify your life in bite sized pieces? Check out The Ideal Bite. This website sends you daily tips to help greenify and simplify your lives in ways that are small yet significant. The website it self is easy to use, and hip as could be. No preaching, just great tips that can easily be fit into anyone's life! Check it out...you wont be sorry!

Now for the Bottles:
I am a big fan of water. It is so good for you!! I am not, however, a fan of disposable plastic water bottles. They cause a lot of waste (yes, I know they are recyclable. But, recycling still takes a lot of energy and in my opinion should be saved for essentials. Unless you are somewhere that the water in unsafe-not Toronto-bottled water is not essential. As well, I know a lot of people don't recycle them all, as they carry them around and toss them wherever is convenient when they are done).

So, I use a Aluminum water bottle and refill it with tap water all day long! Mine is from SIGG, and I just love it. It looks great, and the water doesn't get a plasticky taste. I do believe that Hard plastic reusable water bottles like Nalgene are also reasonably safe (though I prefer metal). Here are some super cute bottles for you to check out. Wanna buy? Click them to find out where:

P.S. The last one is mine. Purty, isn't it?

Milk Bags!!!

Hi, everyone! Chrissy here.

I'd like to talk to you today about milk bags! Now, before you say anything, I'd like you get kindly get our mind out of the gutter! :) I was actually looking for photos of "milk bags" on Google images and you'd be surprised at some of the photographs that popped up!

I don't know what format of containers you purchase your milk in. In the local grocery stores here they come in cartons, plastic jugs, and in plastic bags.We've all learned that in order to help preserve our planet, we need to practice the 3 R's: Reduce (the amount of consumption of material goods, energy, etc), Re-use and Recycle as much as we can and when we can. Bearing this in mind, I've started doing what my mother-in-law does. For the past two years, I've been re-using our plastic milk bags. I used to buy milk in the cartons, but found it more economical and practical to buy them in the bags. We bought milk in the jugs, but often forgot to take them back to the grocery store for recycling and refunding. I think it was 5 cents returned to you per jug.

What my mother-in-law and I do is simply wash the plastic milk bags and dry them so we can re-use them for other things. The milk bags are exceptionally durable and are wonderful for freezing your produce. When I harvest our beans, raspberries, broccoli, cauliflower, corn, and other veggies from our garden, I prepare them and put them into the plastic baggies. Come winter time, we have lots of produce from the garden ready to use for cooking.

I know there are plenty of debates on re-using plastic bags. We've found that there are no problems with it and it works out quite well for us. It's also way better than throwing out the plastic milk bags. At least we have found a purpose for the bags. Nothing gets wasted.

Other than recycling the other types of milk containers, I suppose you can reuse them too. Instead of putting your cartons in the recycling bin, you and your kids can cut them and decorate them and make a bird feeder out of them. You can also cut them and start your seeds in them (for starting seedlings for planting in your garden).

What do you think? Do you buy your milk in the carton, plastic jug or bags? What do you do with the container afterward?