I'm so sorry for the lapse in blogging at my new blog!! This Thanksgiving proved to be a very busy time! Since we have no family in the area, we spent Thanksgiving with two of our good Coast Guard friends. The four of us fried two turkeys and made all the sides to go with them. We did all the work, but had lots of good food and lots of leftovers to show for it!
I am excited to tell you that we had a couple of Thanksgiving dishes that were almost completely organic! I made a green bean casserole using organic cream of mushroom soup (from Ocean State Job Lot - a Big Lots type store) and organic French cut green beans (from Big Y and the military commissary). I had to use regular fried onions because I couldn't find organic. I also made a sweet potato casserole using a bag of organic sweet potatoes and organic butter. I used regular sugar, eggs, brown sugar, and pecans because I am trying to use up the stuff in our pantry before buying new organic stuff. I don't want to throw food away. I also made organic mashed rutabaga with organic onions, garlic, and butter.
Unfortunately, none of us could afford to buy organic turkey or even turkey without antibiotics and hormones - and we fried our turkeys in regular peanut oil. It may not have been as good for us as an antibiotic and hormone-free turkey, but it sure tasted GOOD!!
I say all this to let you know that we pick and choose what organic stuff to spend our money on. How I'd love to buy organic and all-natural EVERYTHING, but our budget just won't allow. One tip that Sara Snow gave Kate Gosselin that I try to keep in mind when making my shopping list is to start with organic meat and dairy. The problem is that it's easier for me to find organic fruits and veggies than organic meats and dairy.
I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving! I'd love to hear how it went!
11.30.2008
Win some eco-friendly baby stuff!
Head over to Go Natural Baby Blog to enter to win $147 in Eco-friendly baby products giveaways! Contest ends December 18.
11.21.2008
Win a reusable shopping bag!
Want a chance to win one of six stylish reusable shopping bags? Head over to SimpleMom to enter! This contest ends on Nov 22 at midnight CST.
11.20.2008
Yes, we cloth diaper
It started with a desire to save money. Jimbo and I were both a little hesitant about the mess and extra work, so I asked a mom at my moms group that is cloth diapering to teach me what she does, what she uses, and the pros and cons of cloth diapering. I learned a lot and she let me borrow two of her diapers so I could show Jimbo how they worked and so we could try them on Eliana.
After the test and a lot of research, we decided on Fuzzi Bunz. Mind you, these are not your grandmother's or mother's cloth diapers. They are pocket diapers (as opposed to pre-folds with diaper covers and all-in-one diapers). New Fuzzi Bunz retail for around $18 or $19 a diaper which was too much for our pocket book. So I began to search for discounted diapers.
I found a site that sold factory seconds, but wasn't too sure about those. I found lots on eBay, but they weren't much cheaper than buying new from an online store. And then I found a lot on Craigslist - 11 used small Fuzzi Bunz diapers for $100. I felt this was a reasonable price for trying cloth diapering out.
Fuzzi Bunz get rave reviews and they are very cute!
The only other thing I needed to decide on was whether to use a wet or dry pail. I wanted to make cloth diapering as easy as possible, so I opted for the dry pail, which meant using a plastic drawstring trash bag while we were in the testing phase. I was able to still store clean diapers in the diaper stacker.
Here is the process we used during the trial (and still use today):
Leslie's Boutique puts out a quality product with lots of cute prints available!
I also decided to also make the move to cloth wipes so we could throw those into the wash right along with the diapers. I bought 12 hemp fleece wipes from the Fuzzi Bunz Store. You can use cotton or fleece wipes or washrags, but hemp is better because it has antibacterial properties and won't mildew if it stays wet for long periods of time. I make my own wipes solution using 2 drops of tea tree oil and a drop of Ellie's baby wash, Earth's Best by Jason, and about 2 cups of warm water. I fold them in half, put them in a pencil box, and pour the solution over them.
Pencil box with wipes inside and clean wipes waiting to go in
The two ingredients for the wipes solution
Lastly, upon the recommendation of that same mom from the mom's group, we bought some Kushies diaper liners. These flushable, biodegradable liners catch the poo and allow you to easily dump it and the liner into the toilet.
Here you can see the pocket and the liner
We have since moved up to medium diapers for Eliana. I found a great online forum called Diaper Swappers where moms post used cloth diapering items for sale at great prices. I was able to get 15 medium diapers for around $10 a diaper. To stuff the diapers, we use microfiber inserts, though we also have contour hemp inserts that came with the small diapers I bought from Craigslist. I like the fact that the microfiber inserts hold a lot of liquid and they dry fast. But they tend to be more difficult to get urine smells out of. I like that the hemp inserts don't smell, but they take forever to dry. Here is a picture of a diaper with a liner and two inserts. We use one microfiber insert during the day and a combo of the microfiber insert and the hemp insert at night.
We've now been cloth diapering for about 8 months and still love it. We've spent around $350 on our stash of diapers and accessories, and will save much more than that on not buying disposables - especially since we can use these diapers on any babies we have in the future AND we can resell everything for at least half of what we paid if properly taken care of. In addition, we are not contributing to filling the landfill with diapers and we are not putting a lot of chemicals on Ellie's bottom. We still use disposables when we go out or on trips because disposables are easier when away from home. But that equals out to maybe 10 to 20 disposables a month (as compared to 10 to 20 every two or three days!!).
That was a lot of information and I'm sure to have left something out or a question unanswered. Please feel free to leave a question or comment or send me an email if you have a question or story to share!! Oh, I almost forgot, here's my baby girl modeling a diaper for you.
After the test and a lot of research, we decided on Fuzzi Bunz. Mind you, these are not your grandmother's or mother's cloth diapers. They are pocket diapers (as opposed to pre-folds with diaper covers and all-in-one diapers). New Fuzzi Bunz retail for around $18 or $19 a diaper which was too much for our pocket book. So I began to search for discounted diapers.
I found a site that sold factory seconds, but wasn't too sure about those. I found lots on eBay, but they weren't much cheaper than buying new from an online store. And then I found a lot on Craigslist - 11 used small Fuzzi Bunz diapers for $100. I felt this was a reasonable price for trying cloth diapering out.
Fuzzi Bunz get rave reviews and they are very cute!
Here is the process we used during the trial (and still use today):
- Stuff and fold all diapers and put them in the diaper stacker
- Once a diaper is dirty, dump hard poo in the toilet, and put the whole diaper in the trash bag and shake the insert out (the milk and formula poo can just go straight in the bag)
- Once the bag is full, dump it in the washing machine
- Run a cold rinse; a hot wash using a little detergent, a little vinegar, and a little baking soda; and a cold rinse
- Dry on medium heat (or air/sun dry)
- Go back to step 1
Leslie's Boutique puts out a quality product with lots of cute prints available! I also decided to also make the move to cloth wipes so we could throw those into the wash right along with the diapers. I bought 12 hemp fleece wipes from the Fuzzi Bunz Store. You can use cotton or fleece wipes or washrags, but hemp is better because it has antibacterial properties and won't mildew if it stays wet for long periods of time. I make my own wipes solution using 2 drops of tea tree oil and a drop of Ellie's baby wash, Earth's Best by Jason, and about 2 cups of warm water. I fold them in half, put them in a pencil box, and pour the solution over them.
Pencil box with wipes inside and clean wipes waiting to go in
The two ingredients for the wipes solutionLastly, upon the recommendation of that same mom from the mom's group, we bought some Kushies diaper liners. These flushable, biodegradable liners catch the poo and allow you to easily dump it and the liner into the toilet.
Here you can see the pocket and the linerWe have since moved up to medium diapers for Eliana. I found a great online forum called Diaper Swappers where moms post used cloth diapering items for sale at great prices. I was able to get 15 medium diapers for around $10 a diaper. To stuff the diapers, we use microfiber inserts, though we also have contour hemp inserts that came with the small diapers I bought from Craigslist. I like the fact that the microfiber inserts hold a lot of liquid and they dry fast. But they tend to be more difficult to get urine smells out of. I like that the hemp inserts don't smell, but they take forever to dry. Here is a picture of a diaper with a liner and two inserts. We use one microfiber insert during the day and a combo of the microfiber insert and the hemp insert at night.
We've now been cloth diapering for about 8 months and still love it. We've spent around $350 on our stash of diapers and accessories, and will save much more than that on not buying disposables - especially since we can use these diapers on any babies we have in the future AND we can resell everything for at least half of what we paid if properly taken care of. In addition, we are not contributing to filling the landfill with diapers and we are not putting a lot of chemicals on Ellie's bottom. We still use disposables when we go out or on trips because disposables are easier when away from home. But that equals out to maybe 10 to 20 disposables a month (as compared to 10 to 20 every two or three days!!).
That was a lot of information and I'm sure to have left something out or a question unanswered. Please feel free to leave a question or comment or send me an email if you have a question or story to share!! Oh, I almost forgot, here's my baby girl modeling a diaper for you.
11.17.2008
A healthy snack
Saturday afternoon we were watching college football and I decided to make myself a little popcorn. This has become a completely organic snack for me, so I thought I'd post it. I used to be all about the ease and quickness of microwave popcorn, but when we decided to pull the plug on microwave (more on that in a later post) I had to find an alternative.
I purchased some organic popping corn from Stop and Shop for $3. I planned on popping it in a large pot with a little olive oil, but my wonderful neighbor was moving and gave me her air popper for free! Yay! So now, I just take two handfuls of kernels and put them in the popper, plug it in, and let it go to work. While the corn is popping, I melt a tablespoon of organic butter on the stove by placing a small glass dish inside a pot with about 1 inch of water and heating it over medium low heat. I purchased the butter at Trader Joe's for around $4.50.
There are at least 20 servings in the bag of popcorn and 32 servings of butter topping in one package of butter, so for about $.30 for a medium bowl of popcorn and about 5 to 10 minutes of my time, I have a very tasty, healthy, and green snack. I used to buy Orville Redenbocker's Natural ButteryGarlic microwave popcorn minibags at 10 bags for around $3 (I don't know exactly since it's been a while since I purchased it) making it around $.30 a bag. I'm happy to discover that I'm breaking even.
Tips - To make it even tastier, I add a little salt, a little garlic powder, a dash of pepper. Margarine and light butter make the popcorn soggy, you must use real butter to maintain the popcorn's crunchiness.
I purchased some organic popping corn from Stop and Shop for $3. I planned on popping it in a large pot with a little olive oil, but my wonderful neighbor was moving and gave me her air popper for free! Yay! So now, I just take two handfuls of kernels and put them in the popper, plug it in, and let it go to work. While the corn is popping, I melt a tablespoon of organic butter on the stove by placing a small glass dish inside a pot with about 1 inch of water and heating it over medium low heat. I purchased the butter at Trader Joe's for around $4.50.
There are at least 20 servings in the bag of popcorn and 32 servings of butter topping in one package of butter, so for about $.30 for a medium bowl of popcorn and about 5 to 10 minutes of my time, I have a very tasty, healthy, and green snack. I used to buy Orville Redenbocker's Natural ButteryGarlic microwave popcorn minibags at 10 bags for around $3 (I don't know exactly since it's been a while since I purchased it) making it around $.30 a bag. I'm happy to discover that I'm breaking even.Tips - To make it even tastier, I add a little salt, a little garlic powder, a dash of pepper. Margarine and light butter make the popcorn soggy, you must use real butter to maintain the popcorn's crunchiness.
11.14.2008
Don't throw it out!
Freecycle it! What is Freecycle? The Freecycle website says it best:
Some of the moms at the moms group I go to introduced me to Freecycle over a year ago, and I love it! Since joining our local group (which is a Yahoo group where members post offered items) I have thrown very little away. I have passed many things on through Freecycle: travel soaps and lotions, a pregnancy test, old computer speakers, moving boxes, mailing boxes, packing peanuts, baby stuff, and even a styrofoam cooler. I have also gotten many more items through Freecycle: practically brand new toys for Eliana's first birthday, toys for her to use now, a snow suit for her, lots of books for her, Dr. Brown's bottles, brand new with tags "#1 Dad" pajama pants for Jimbo, and we almost got a freezer!
How does it work? People post items they want to get rid of and where the items are located. The post is emailed out to all members in the group. If you are interested in the item, you reply to the email. The person emails you back to let you know if you have been selected to pick the item up. You schedule a time and place to pick the item up if you haven't already (usually the person leaves the item on the curb or front porch of their house), then you pick the item up at the scheduled time.
Join now - you will be amazed at what people are giving away and at what you find to pass along to a new home!
If you are already a part of a Freecycle group, please feel free to share your experiences!
Our mission is to build a worldwide gifting movement that reduces waste, saves precious resources & eases the burden on our landfills while enabling our members to benefit from the strength of a larger community.
Some of the moms at the moms group I go to introduced me to Freecycle over a year ago, and I love it! Since joining our local group (which is a Yahoo group where members post offered items) I have thrown very little away. I have passed many things on through Freecycle: travel soaps and lotions, a pregnancy test, old computer speakers, moving boxes, mailing boxes, packing peanuts, baby stuff, and even a styrofoam cooler. I have also gotten many more items through Freecycle: practically brand new toys for Eliana's first birthday, toys for her to use now, a snow suit for her, lots of books for her, Dr. Brown's bottles, brand new with tags "#1 Dad" pajama pants for Jimbo, and we almost got a freezer!
How does it work? People post items they want to get rid of and where the items are located. The post is emailed out to all members in the group. If you are interested in the item, you reply to the email. The person emails you back to let you know if you have been selected to pick the item up. You schedule a time and place to pick the item up if you haven't already (usually the person leaves the item on the curb or front porch of their house), then you pick the item up at the scheduled time.
Join now - you will be amazed at what people are giving away and at what you find to pass along to a new home!
If you are already a part of a Freecycle group, please feel free to share your experiences!
11.13.2008
Shop green and earn cash back
Shop green online and earn cash back on your purchases through E-bates. Hundreds of online stores participate (even Walmart and Ebay!) and you can view a list on their website.
From the E-bates website:
From the E-bates website:
People often ask: "This sounds too good to be true, how are you able to do it?" It really is quite simple. Just like almost every other online shopping center, we get a commission from the stores when you make a purchase. Instead of keeping that money - like almost all other sites do - we share it with you!All you have to do is initiate your online shopping through the E-bates website. Then, every 3 months, they cut you a check for purchases posted during the previous quarter. You have the option of receiving your check in the mail, or you can have the money sent to you via PayPal.
11.12.2008
Muir Glen Organic coupon
Visit the Muir Glen website, sign up for the Tomato Connoisseurs' Club, and print a $1 off any product coupon (expires one month from the day you print). I personally love Muir Glen organic tomatoes and sauces.
America's healthiest grocery stores
My mom sent me a link to an article that CNN put out on their website yesterday, "America's healthiest grocery stores." Be sure to check out the article and then follow the links below to find out if you have any of these stores in your area.
1. Whole Foods - I would agree, the selection is amazing, but the prices can be a bit high
2. Safeway
3. Harris Teater
4. Trader Joe's - we love Trader Joe's!
5. Hannaford
6. Albertson's - one of our favorites while in California
7. Food Lion
8. Publix - we shopped here when living in Georgia
9. Pathmark
10. Super Target
One store that I think should also be included on this list is Stop & Shop. One tip I have for getting organic foods and green products at great prices at the grocery store, check the clearance bins and reduced for quick sale shelves! When visiting Kroger during a recent trip to Michigan I found canned organic pineapple, tropical fruit salad, and diced tomatoes marked down 50% in the clearance bin.
Are there any stores that you feel should have been included on this list?
If you ever have any tips, stories, questions, or deals to share with me, be sure to leave me a comment or send me an email. I welcome your feedback!
1. Whole Foods - I would agree, the selection is amazing, but the prices can be a bit high
2. Safeway
3. Harris Teater
4. Trader Joe's - we love Trader Joe's!
5. Hannaford
6. Albertson's - one of our favorites while in California
7. Food Lion
8. Publix - we shopped here when living in Georgia
9. Pathmark
10. Super Target
One store that I think should also be included on this list is Stop & Shop. One tip I have for getting organic foods and green products at great prices at the grocery store, check the clearance bins and reduced for quick sale shelves! When visiting Kroger during a recent trip to Michigan I found canned organic pineapple, tropical fruit salad, and diced tomatoes marked down 50% in the clearance bin.
Are there any stores that you feel should have been included on this list?
If you ever have any tips, stories, questions, or deals to share with me, be sure to leave me a comment or send me an email. I welcome your feedback!
11.11.2008
Tuesday's Dinner
I was watching Rachel Ray (yesterday? last week? I can't remember when). She had a little boy on the show helping her make what she was calling Taco Lasagna. It sounded and looked so good that I took a mental inventory of our pantry to see if we had all the ingredients. We had everything but one item, so I picked it up (on the way to mom's group this morning - combining errands in a single trip to save gas!).
I tried to find the recipe on the internet this evening, but all I could find was a recipe for her Mexican Lasagna. The ingredients are a little different, but the general idea is the same.
I used ground turkey, minced dried onion, a can of organic pinto beans, a half can of organic corn, and I grated into the meat one organic green squash and one organic carrot (she did this on the show). I also used a packet of taco seasoning instead of the individual seasonings and I mixed in some enchilada sauce. I also used a mixture of Monterrey Jack and cheddar cheeses. It turned out very good! Very yummy and VERY easy!
Ideally, I would use organic meat or ground wild turkey, but I have yet to find either of these for an affordable price. Next time I will use organic whole wheat flour tortillas and organic cheese - I believe they sell both of these at Trader Joe's. It would also be great with some toppings - black olives, avocado, a little lettuce, perhaps some organic sour cream. Click here to sign up for coupons for several items, including milk, butter, and cheese, from Horizon Organic.
Feel free to share your yummy healthy recipes with me.
I tried to find the recipe on the internet this evening, but all I could find was a recipe for her Mexican Lasagna. The ingredients are a little different, but the general idea is the same.
I used ground turkey, minced dried onion, a can of organic pinto beans, a half can of organic corn, and I grated into the meat one organic green squash and one organic carrot (she did this on the show). I also used a packet of taco seasoning instead of the individual seasonings and I mixed in some enchilada sauce. I also used a mixture of Monterrey Jack and cheddar cheeses. It turned out very good! Very yummy and VERY easy!
Ideally, I would use organic meat or ground wild turkey, but I have yet to find either of these for an affordable price. Next time I will use organic whole wheat flour tortillas and organic cheese - I believe they sell both of these at Trader Joe's. It would also be great with some toppings - black olives, avocado, a little lettuce, perhaps some organic sour cream. Click here to sign up for coupons for several items, including milk, butter, and cheese, from Horizon Organic.
Feel free to share your yummy healthy recipes with me.
Paper or plastic? Neither.
This is the slogan printed on Wal-mart's reusable shopping bags. It seems like most stores are now selling or offering reusable shopping bags in order to cut down on the production and disposal of plastic bags, which is great!
This past Earth Day, many stores gave away free reusable bags or sold them at a discount. I thought it was time to do our part to help the environment, so I purchased 8 bags from a nearby grocery store for $.50 each. Since then, we have doubled our stash by picking up free reusable shopping bags from Home Depot, Babies R' Us, Wal-mart, and events we've attended. We have even added a reusable zip top insulated bag that we purchased for $1.50 at the Navy Commissary.
I often forget to take the bags in to the store with me, but as time goes by I am getting better at remembering. It helps that most of the grocery stores here offer $.05 cents off your order for each reusable bag you use.
The reusable bags that grocery stores sell are great - be sure to get the ones that have the plastic board in the bottom (it keeps the bag stable when filling it and carrying it). I personally love that the handles are long enough that I can carry them on my shoulder. You can also pack them way fuller than you can pack a plastic or paper grocery bag. Here is a picture of part of our stash.
If you don't have the cash to buy reusable bags, Martha Stewart tells you how to make your own bags out of old t-shirts!! Not only will you be cutting down on plastic bags, you will also be giving new purpose to clothing you no longer wear. And you can get a free Target shopping bag by mailing them 5 Target plastic bags from your last shopping trip. Hurry - this offer ends on 11/30/2008!
This past Earth Day, many stores gave away free reusable bags or sold them at a discount. I thought it was time to do our part to help the environment, so I purchased 8 bags from a nearby grocery store for $.50 each. Since then, we have doubled our stash by picking up free reusable shopping bags from Home Depot, Babies R' Us, Wal-mart, and events we've attended. We have even added a reusable zip top insulated bag that we purchased for $1.50 at the Navy Commissary.
I often forget to take the bags in to the store with me, but as time goes by I am getting better at remembering. It helps that most of the grocery stores here offer $.05 cents off your order for each reusable bag you use.
The reusable bags that grocery stores sell are great - be sure to get the ones that have the plastic board in the bottom (it keeps the bag stable when filling it and carrying it). I personally love that the handles are long enough that I can carry them on my shoulder. You can also pack them way fuller than you can pack a plastic or paper grocery bag. Here is a picture of part of our stash.
If you don't have the cash to buy reusable bags, Martha Stewart tells you how to make your own bags out of old t-shirts!! Not only will you be cutting down on plastic bags, you will also be giving new purpose to clothing you no longer wear. And you can get a free Target shopping bag by mailing them 5 Target plastic bags from your last shopping trip. Hurry - this offer ends on 11/30/2008!
11.10.2008
Chemical-less clean floors
I hate cleaning - I'm sure many are right there with me on that. But I do love a clean house! So any shortcuts I can find are greatly welcomed. The first floor of our rental has laminate wood floors, and get dirty very quickly. I didn't concern myself with keeping them clean until Eliana starting playing and crawling on them. Now I feel I have to mop every other (if not every) night.
At first, I was using a mop and bucket with hot water and a bit of bleach. The bleach thing just didn't sit right with me. Not to mention that filling up a bucket of water and mopping the traditional way was not how I wanted to spend my free-time during the evenings.
My parents also have laminate wood floors, and when we visited I tried out their new steam mop. Up until this point, I was not aware such things existed, but after trying it out, I was convinced it was what we needed. So I did a little research and ended up getting the same mop that my parents have, the Bissell Steam Mop. Here are pictures of tonight's cleaning session.
I purchased it from Linen's N Things with a 20% off coupon so I could return it if for some reason I didn't like it (though you can purchase it from Amazon with free shipping and no tax - Amazon has VERY EASY returns). I've been using it for several months and love it. All I have to do is plug it in, fill the detachable container with plain old tap water, and then mop. It comes with two microfiber mop heads and a water filter as well.
The directions say that in order to sterilize an area you have to hold the mop there for 30 + seconds. I don't know if I buy that. But if you need peace of mind and don't have that kind of time, you can add a couple drops of Tea Tree oil to the water. Tea Tree oil typically comes in a small bottle and can be found in the pharmacy section of many stores. I haven't tried this, yet, because my bottle is always upstairs and I'm always mopping downstairs. Be advised that the steam mop leaves behind just as much water as a regular mop and bucket.
I'd love to hear what do you do to clean your floors. Does anyone have another green way of cleaning the floors?
At first, I was using a mop and bucket with hot water and a bit of bleach. The bleach thing just didn't sit right with me. Not to mention that filling up a bucket of water and mopping the traditional way was not how I wanted to spend my free-time during the evenings.
My parents also have laminate wood floors, and when we visited I tried out their new steam mop. Up until this point, I was not aware such things existed, but after trying it out, I was convinced it was what we needed. So I did a little research and ended up getting the same mop that my parents have, the Bissell Steam Mop. Here are pictures of tonight's cleaning session.
I purchased it from Linen's N Things with a 20% off coupon so I could return it if for some reason I didn't like it (though you can purchase it from Amazon with free shipping and no tax - Amazon has VERY EASY returns). I've been using it for several months and love it. All I have to do is plug it in, fill the detachable container with plain old tap water, and then mop. It comes with two microfiber mop heads and a water filter as well.The directions say that in order to sterilize an area you have to hold the mop there for 30 + seconds. I don't know if I buy that. But if you need peace of mind and don't have that kind of time, you can add a couple drops of Tea Tree oil to the water. Tea Tree oil typically comes in a small bottle and can be found in the pharmacy section of many stores. I haven't tried this, yet, because my bottle is always upstairs and I'm always mopping downstairs. Be advised that the steam mop leaves behind just as much water as a regular mop and bucket.
I'd love to hear what do you do to clean your floors. Does anyone have another green way of cleaning the floors?
11.07.2008
How the journey began
It all began with a book that a friend recommended to me while I was in college about 8 years ago, "What the Bible Says About Healthy Living." Prior to reading this book, I always trusted that the stuff sold in the stores was safe. The government regulates everything after all, right? This book really opened my eyes.
My main discovery was about everything white. "White" usually means that during processing all the good stuff has been removed (e.g. white flour, white sugar, etc). You can check the book out at your local library if you wish to find out more details.
In response to this knowledge and our conviction to be good stewards of our bodies, I felt that we needed to start buying things as whole and natural as possible and do the prep work ourselves to ensure that we were getting the full benefit of the foods we were eating. I began buying whole grains and brown rice. I started grinding wheat berries to make my own freshly ground wheat bread. Friends introduced me to food co-ops that sold whole and organic foods in bulk at cheaper prices than the grocery stores. I began learning a little about the differences in organic and non-organic foods, but didn't really get into organics all that heavily. They are not that popular or prevalent in the parts of Alabama and Georgia that we were living.
Then we moved out to California. I learned a lot in the way of healthy living out there. Organics and green products were so easy to come by. I was able to learn more by talking with friends and farmers (at the farmers markets) and I was able to experiment with more (nothing beats the taste of fresh organic produce). We stuck mostly to organic produce while in California.
A year and a half later, we moved to our current home in Connecticut. I was worried that my access to organics and green products would be non-existent. It took a little over a year and a lot of searching, but I have been able to find several places within a 30 minute drive that meet most of my needs. The prices are much higher than they were in California because everything must be shipped in from other parts of the country, but at least we have options! We are also now desiring to consume organic meats and dairy in addition to organic produce.
Since moving to Connecticut, we have added our precious Eliana to the family. Having a baby around has increased my desire to live a greener life. Since she came into our lives, we have analyzed our use of household chemicals, microwaves, disposable anything, etc. We have moved from being focused only on what we were taking into our bodies to also looking at what we have in our lives. You might say that we slowly completing a "green cleaning."
Being that we are an enlisted military family living on a single income, we have a very tight budget. It is difficult to live greenly on a tight budget, but we are attempting to do it... one small step at a time. Our goal from the beginning of this journey has been to be good stewards of our bodies, but a benefit of this kind of living is allowing us to also be better stewards of the world God has given us. I am also discovering green ways of living that will even allow us to be better stewards of the financial resources we have been blessed with.
I hope that you will follow us as we continue our journey to living a greener life frugally and that some of you will even be challenged to join us on this journey.
My main discovery was about everything white. "White" usually means that during processing all the good stuff has been removed (e.g. white flour, white sugar, etc). You can check the book out at your local library if you wish to find out more details.
In response to this knowledge and our conviction to be good stewards of our bodies, I felt that we needed to start buying things as whole and natural as possible and do the prep work ourselves to ensure that we were getting the full benefit of the foods we were eating. I began buying whole grains and brown rice. I started grinding wheat berries to make my own freshly ground wheat bread. Friends introduced me to food co-ops that sold whole and organic foods in bulk at cheaper prices than the grocery stores. I began learning a little about the differences in organic and non-organic foods, but didn't really get into organics all that heavily. They are not that popular or prevalent in the parts of Alabama and Georgia that we were living.
Then we moved out to California. I learned a lot in the way of healthy living out there. Organics and green products were so easy to come by. I was able to learn more by talking with friends and farmers (at the farmers markets) and I was able to experiment with more (nothing beats the taste of fresh organic produce). We stuck mostly to organic produce while in California.
A year and a half later, we moved to our current home in Connecticut. I was worried that my access to organics and green products would be non-existent. It took a little over a year and a lot of searching, but I have been able to find several places within a 30 minute drive that meet most of my needs. The prices are much higher than they were in California because everything must be shipped in from other parts of the country, but at least we have options! We are also now desiring to consume organic meats and dairy in addition to organic produce.
Since moving to Connecticut, we have added our precious Eliana to the family. Having a baby around has increased my desire to live a greener life. Since she came into our lives, we have analyzed our use of household chemicals, microwaves, disposable anything, etc. We have moved from being focused only on what we were taking into our bodies to also looking at what we have in our lives. You might say that we slowly completing a "green cleaning."
Being that we are an enlisted military family living on a single income, we have a very tight budget. It is difficult to live greenly on a tight budget, but we are attempting to do it... one small step at a time. Our goal from the beginning of this journey has been to be good stewards of our bodies, but a benefit of this kind of living is allowing us to also be better stewards of the world God has given us. I am also discovering green ways of living that will even allow us to be better stewards of the financial resources we have been blessed with.
I hope that you will follow us as we continue our journey to living a greener life frugally and that some of you will even be challenged to join us on this journey.
11.06.2008
Meet the author
Hi, I'm Kristen. I have been married to my wonderful husband Jimbo since 2000. I graduated from Auburn University with a Masters of Management Information Systems and worked as a mainframe software tester for two years. My husband enlisted in the Coast Guard in 2005; we left our old lives behind and embarked on a new adventure as a military family. So far we've lived in Alabama, Georgia, California, and now Connecticut.In December 2007, we added our adorable daughter Eliana to the mix, and I have since been very blessed to be a stay-at-home mommy. We have been interested in healthy, holistic, natural living for many years, but adding our daughter to the household has prompted us to go as green as possible. This has been difficult to do on our tight single enlisted military income. So, I am constantly searching for cheaper greener ways to live. I am excited to share our family's journey with you, and I hope that you can benefit from our discoveries and experiences.
Welcome
Going green seems to be the thing to do these days. Though, I don't consider myself to have jumped on the bandwagon because I began the process of going green about 8 years ago. It has been a slow process for me, as I've had to bring my husband along - not kicking and screaming - but dragging his feet so to speak.
Living a natural lifestyle has been important to me as I believe the Bible instructs us that our bodies are a temple of God and that the we should be good stewards of our bodies and of the world that God has given us. Society has strayed so far from "natural" that it's difficult to even discern what it truly is. I've done a bit of reading and a bit of research trying to find a way of living that I am at peace with.
I have a desire to live as "green" a life as I can. But as you know, living greenly can cost a lot of "green." So, I spend a lot of time, as the manager of my household, trying to figure out how to make our single military income stretch far enough to cover the higher prices and finding greener ways to live that might actually save us money. It is a learning process that I'd like to document and share. And that is what this blog is devoted to.
If you enjoy what you've read so far, please click here to subscribe to this blog.
Living a natural lifestyle has been important to me as I believe the Bible instructs us that our bodies are a temple of God and that the we should be good stewards of our bodies and of the world that God has given us. Society has strayed so far from "natural" that it's difficult to even discern what it truly is. I've done a bit of reading and a bit of research trying to find a way of living that I am at peace with.
I have a desire to live as "green" a life as I can. But as you know, living greenly can cost a lot of "green." So, I spend a lot of time, as the manager of my household, trying to figure out how to make our single military income stretch far enough to cover the higher prices and finding greener ways to live that might actually save us money. It is a learning process that I'd like to document and share. And that is what this blog is devoted to.
If you enjoy what you've read so far, please click here to subscribe to this blog.
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