2013: Resolve To Be Green

It’s resolution time! Did you resolve to be more eco-friendly in 2013? Some of us crunchy folks are kinda nuts and take things to extremes.  Maybe you aren’t ready for that just yet and desire to embark on a sane, thoughtful approach to using the earth’s resources more efficiently.  Maybe you are like me, and the decision was made based on the well being of a child or because you are cheap frugal.

Here are some tips to help you get things started…

Start recycling, especially if your municipality offers curbside pickup.  Each locale has their own guidelines as to what can be left curbside and how it should be left. 

Replace old appliances with energy efficient ones.  Heavy use appliances like washers, dryers, water heaters, furnaces, dish washers and heaters are great places to start.  You’ll also save money in the long run.

Plant trees on the west side of your house.  Not only will the landscaping be gorgeous, but it helps with heating and cooling costs.  How?  Well, in the summer, the foliage from the trees provides blockage from the sun, keeping your home cooler.  In the winter months, the absence of those same leaves lets the sun through, helping to warm your house.

Upcycle!  Upcycling is great, especially if you are crafty.  Instead of throwing out items, find ways to repurpose them.  If you still don’t know what I mean, google it, or if you are on Pinterest there are tons of upcycling boards you can get awesome ideas from. 

Start using rechargeable batteries.  We use rechargeable batteries for so many things in our house, we’ve lost track!  Video game controllers, toys, keyboards and mice, and other electronics all use rechargeables.  Not only has it saved us a lot of money, but those dead batteries don’t end up in a landfill somewhere.  The initial investment, if you are purchasing a larger set can be costly, but is worth it in return on investment.

Reduce the amount of water used.  Consider purchasing low flow shower heads, low flow toilets and faucets.  Again, initial investment here can be costly, but the return is really worth it.  We left one of our showerheads “regular” for hair washing purposes.  We have yet to find a low flow shower head that will give enough water for the amount of fluffy hair residing in our home.  Also consider reducing the amount of times you use your dishwasher per week.  While it is very convenient, dishwashers use a ton of water; much more than conventional washing would.

There are all sorts of ways you can save resources and money.  Let this be a resolution you actually keep, your wallet and the earth with thank you!

Wordless Wednesday - 12/26/12

Enchanted Tales with Belle

Wordless Wednesdays - 12/19/12

Merry Christmas!

Wordless Wednesdays - 12/12/12

Wordless Wednesdays - 12/12/12

Port Orleans Riverside, Sassagoula River

Cloth Diapering at Disney...we did it again!

Would I continue to cloth diaper my children while at Disney World? Absolutely!  My wash routine has changed some from the last visit.  You'll find that below, along with a few tips to make sure cloth diapering is just as easy at the parks as it is at home.

Packing
I packed enough diapers for two days (18 diapers).  My precious stash was stowed in our carry on luggage, just in case we ran into problems with Magical Express or on the plane.  Nothing worse than being stuck somewhere without clean diapers!  Also packed were two medium wet bags, Eco Nuts, and disposable wipes.

Washing
We stayed at Port Orleans Riverside.  I requested a room near the laundry facilities, and we ended up just one building over from where they were located.  Usually, laundry is located near the swimming pools.  Signage to the pools is more plentiful than signage pointing to laundry, so that's what I typically look for.  You must have a Key To the World Card to access laundry.

Eco Nuts

Once inside, I picked a washer, noted the posted wash and dry time and got to work.  While away from home, my laundry soap of choice is Eco Nuts.  They take up a lot less space in luggage than a bag or box of detergent would, and can be used multiple times.  Just place 4 - 5 nuts in the bag, and throw them in the washing machine.  These are not the same as regular nuts; those with nut allergies should not worry about these causing allergic reactions.

Agitation speed and wash temperatures are the only options available on the washers.  I selected "Normal" agitation speed and "Regular Heavy/Hot" wash temperature.  At home, we normally run a rinse cycle first, but a standard rinse cycle is not available on these washers.  You can get away without the rinse cycle if you are using disposable liners in your diapers.  The posted washing and drying time is 30 minutes.  That was just enough time for me to walk from Port Orleans Riverside to French Quarter and get an order of beignets.  It was a great walk, and I do recommend it if you are staying at either location.

Freshly Washed

Upon return, I pulled my laundry from the washer and moved it to a dryer that also had a 30 minute cycle.  This is where I really compromised my normal wash cycle.  I rarely, if ever, dry my precious stash on hot, but I was worried that the 30 minute cycle wouldn't be long enough to get the diapers dry before we headed to the park.  I was running pretty low.  My Bum Genius and Tiny Tushies pocket diapers would be OK, but my Goodmama's are always washed and dried using cooler temperatures, so I waited nervously outside the building, praying that the diapers inside the dryer would not spontaneously combust.

Dryers

Inside Dryer

In thirty minutes, everything was not completely dry, but I was not chancing a second dryer cycle.  Truth is, I was ready to head to the parks and did not want to walk all the way back to the General Store, to get change for a $20, to put dollar bills in the change machine in the laundry room and wait nervously outside again.

Clean Diapers!

Tips

• Keep count of how many diapers you have with you, so you don't leave any behind.
• Bring more than one wetbag.  We left one in the room and emptied the dirty diapers into it, taking the empty bag back with us to the park.
• Even if you don't normally use liners, bring them with you on vacation. No rinse cycle on the washers means an extra $2 for an entire cycle to get poop off.  You can just flush the poop with the liner after you change baby.
• Don't bring more than you need.  Diaper bags get real heavy, real quick.
• Laundry facilities are open 24 hours.  Use them on off hours.  This one was surprisingly busy during early morning hours.

If you are already cloth diapering at home, there is no reason why you shouldn't do it on vacation.  Would we cloth diaper at Disney again? Of course!  It gets easier and easier each time we do it.  My washing and drying time gave me some much needed "Mommy Time" with the nice stroll and snack.  Washing before 7:00 am, is definitely my preference.  I can't wait to go again next summer, and pair a cute, fluffy booty with some great Disney shirt, baby legs & mouse ears.  I'd love to see some of your diaper clad dearies at the parks, or read some of  your vacation washing tips and share other readers.

Stay crunchy, friends!