Saturday, February 27, 2010

Going green/crunchy...

I am now entering my second phase for going green and crunchy!

Phase one was eliminating paper products and using primarily cloth. I still have TP on hand for guests, and paper towels on hand for especially gross cleanups, but for the most part, I'm all cloth! I also started "no 'pooing" during this phase, although that technically fits in better with phase two.

Phase two is switching to all/mostly homemade cleaners and health and beauty products. I bought white vinegar, apple cider vinegar, baking soda, cornstarch, witch hazel, chamomile tea, borax, honey, and I think I am forgetting a few things I've already purchased. I still need to get essential oils and some containers. With these products I will make an all purpose cleaner, disinfectant, window cleaner, other various household cleaners that I'm forgetting at the moment, face wash, deodorant, and will wash and condition my hair. I'm still trying to figure out what to do with most of my old stuff.

Phase three is partially started, but that's when I'll focus more on food. Right now I've been focusing more on just avoiding processed foods. Eventually I'd like to buy more organic, and even grow some of my own food. Who knows what the phases after that will be, but this is what I have set out for now!

I'm really loving these changes and it's not as hard as it might seem. Just do things slowly. You don't just wake up one morning and you're all green/crunchy. It has to start with one thing at a time.

For me the starter was cloth diapers(still use a sposie here and there.)
From cloth diapers, I went to cloth wipes.
From cloth wipes, I went to cloth household.
Not sure how, but from cloth household, I went no-poo, haha.
And that's where we are now, with the homemade products!

It's definitely a process, and the more I educate myself on the dangers of the products being consumed by the average American, the more I want to actively do something. Not buying their products is the first step.

2 comments:

Nicole said...

I know this is an old post, but I'm trying to do what you're doing/did...

We went disposables >> cloth diapers.
Cloth diapers >> cloth wipes.
Now I'm stuck at cloth wipes >> family cloth.

I have mama cloth, but A is breastfeeding 18 times/day, so no period yet.

My husband is AGAINST it. I keep trying to convince him but it's not working. I even told him that even if I'm just the one to use it, you save money still. He still wont have anything to do with it.
Any advice? did your husband agree with doing these things? I also have a 'goals' list on my blog if you do any of those, could you give me some advice please? :)

Tara @ --Insert Clever Title Here-- said...

I haven't been doing the family cloth in awhile, but I'd really like to buy some nice ones soon. When I was pregnant I was peeing like 20 times a day, so I was going through the TP like crazy, lol. The stuff I was using was just like homemade cut up pieces of receiving blankets, so that's one reason I'm not doing it now since they weren't holding up, lol. My hubby was actually gone when I started using the family cloth, but even if he had been home I don't think he would've used it. Since he doesn't wipe when he pees he doesn't use much TP anyways. He never really stops me from doing any of the stuff I do, lol. He might roll his eyes at me, but doesn't care enough to try and stop me:).
I really want to get these...
http://www.etsy.com/listing/61649024/cool-mom-picks-says-thumbs-up-on-eco