I don't know if I have a "greenthumb" or not. I've never really planted much. And I'm not really sure where to start. At all. I use all of herbs at our house for cooking as well as quite a few vegatables even though Cody isn't a huge fan of that. I could probably be a vegatarian if I wanted to be, but I don't think I could drag Cody along on that one. Plus, the little boy loves his beef and chicken. He likes veggies too, just not a much. But that being said, I have no idea how to grow any veggies or herbs or anything. But considering the amount that I buy from the grocery store since our farmer's market season doesn't start until May 1st, I think I'd be saving money if I bought a couple of books. Luckily Cody's gung-ho about this garden because at this point I don't think you'll see me on my hands and knees in a garden. I think my job will be supervising as I'm currently 33 weeks pregnant. We'll see.
But other than the garden being a source of food for my family, it brings back memories of a simpler time when my grandmother would take me to the small garden she had behind the house and I could pick strawberries and well, really anything I wanted. I also remember my other grandmother and grandfather always having a pepper garden and I loved seeing the joy it brought them. My grandmother's real love was flowers but she loved just being out in the sun, with her hands in the dirt. Spring Breaks with her were spent at local farmer's markets looking for seeds or at local gardening stores. She always let me plant snap dragons because those were my favorite and when I came to visit in the early summer, they were usually still there. But then again, I am a little nostalgic at the best of times. I have a tiny porch that I sit on and wave to people from during the warmer weather. I still wave to farmers as they pass me on country roads. I believe in saying "Ma'am" and "Sir." I believe in being polite, not being afraid to get your hands dirty, just good old fashioned living that you don't see very often anymore. I believe in a place where people are proud for their accomplishments and are always willing to help out a friend or even just someone they just met. I know. I want a Utopia and it's probably not going to happen, but that doean't mean that I can't try. That doesn't mean that the aliens will not be brought up that way.
Anyway, I kind of lost track of where I was going with this. Sorry. I guess the point of this post is if you have any gardening tips, please let me know. Plus, I need tips on how to keep a pesky little wiener dog out of said garden.
Monday, March 22, 2010
Saturday, March 13, 2010
My Rockin' Green Review
I tried my Rockin' Green laundry detergent yesterday and I have to say...I love it! It left Alien #1's diapers sparkling white, which TMI warning, they were kinda bad this load. My entire laundry room smells great and really the diapers smell...well, they don't smell like anything, which it wonderful because it means there's no soapy residue left on them which is a big no-no for cloth diapers as it messes with the absorbancy of the insert and the waterproofness of the shell. I'm also excited about washing the rest of my family's laundry in it since it's so much better than putting artificial chemicals on our skin. I'm pretty stoked! I also got pail/wet bag powder with my order. It was cherry almond scented as well, but my wet bag smells awesome! I'm really excited...about laundry. How sad is that? I also found a place in Oklahoma City that sells Rockin' Green Soap and cloth diapers as well as other natural baby products. It's called The Green Bambino and I can not wait to go check out what they have. They've only been open for a week or two but from what I've read, the reviews are great. I hope that it helps get more and more families into cloth diapering and just a more natural life style in general especially since it's one of Oklahoma's only cloth diapering stores.
I now have the diapers line drying outside because the sun bleaches out stains and makes them smell even better. I'll probably start drying all of my cloths out there soon (weather permitting) except towels. Line drying towels doesn't keep them as soft. Cody is out working in the yard and hopefully we might get an herb and vegatable garden started soon. I think we're going to plant some flowers around too. Pretty soon our house will be ready for spring and summer and most importantly, Alien #2
I now have the diapers line drying outside because the sun bleaches out stains and makes them smell even better. I'll probably start drying all of my cloths out there soon (weather permitting) except towels. Line drying towels doesn't keep them as soft. Cody is out working in the yard and hopefully we might get an herb and vegatable garden started soon. I think we're going to plant some flowers around too. Pretty soon our house will be ready for spring and summer and most importantly, Alien #2
Friday, March 12, 2010
I'm gonna Rock a Soak today!
Lesson Numero Uno: Enid is not very eco-friendly when it comes to laundry detergent. I can't find any that are completely free of smells, dyes, enzymes and brightening agents. Most cloth diapering companies require this in order to keep the warrentee on them good. So I broke down and bought something called Rockin' Green detergent. It comes in awesome scents using essential oils (a very small amount) and all natural ingrediants. It comes in another formula that is made for those with soft-water or children with sensitive skin. I ordered some "Classic Rock" in the vanilla almond scent and some of the "Soft Rock" (which is the one for sensitive skin). They also have a formula coming out soon called "Hard Rock" made for those with hard water, which we have here in Enid so I might try that next time as it should be released by the time I need it.
The soap should be here today and since Alien #1 is going to his dad's this weekend, I will be washing all of his cloth diapers again but this time using the Rockin' Green. which is supposed to be aclean rinse with no bubbles and erase all the residue left by previous detergents. I'm excited!!! Cody has been making fun of me because I have a ridiculous obsession with tracking packages when I order them and the tracking said it should be here today. Luckily my mail man comes by around 11:00 so it should be here any minute.
I'll try it and let you guys know what I think!
The soap should be here today and since Alien #1 is going to his dad's this weekend, I will be washing all of his cloth diapers again but this time using the Rockin' Green. which is supposed to be aclean rinse with no bubbles and erase all the residue left by previous detergents. I'm excited!!! Cody has been making fun of me because I have a ridiculous obsession with tracking packages when I order them and the tracking said it should be here today. Luckily my mail man comes by around 11:00 so it should be here any minute.
I'll try it and let you guys know what I think!
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
It's Rex Manning Day...
That's kind of what I feel like anyway. I'm having major "mommy" moments lately. There the moments where I stop and I think, "Oh my, I'm about to be a mom of two." With just Smasher I can still get by with my semi-childless status. I mean I'm always a mom and yes there are things that I get really excited about in the baby world, but I could usually separate myself from it if need be. I've recently decided that this is no longer possible. I talk about Smasher non-stop and about how excited I am for 8 to be here. I get stupid over things like cloth diapers, baby clothes and Moby wraps. I mean, I am getting a little sick of myself now. I can't imagine how The Hubby is dealing with it. He is so supportive and a great addition to our little family.
This past week has kind of been awesome. I've got something that I ordered almost everyday and I now I received everything!!! I got all of her feeding supplies last week and then today my new Moby and all of their diapers came in. I kind of want to test the Moby of Smash, but I don't know if he'd like it much. I may have to let The Hubby try it since I'm sure my back would hurt after too long. I'm about to start washing all of the diapers since in order to get the maximum absorbency out of them you have to pre-wash them about 5 times or so. They should be ready by tonight though and I think Smasher will be wearing them tomorrow. Hopefully we can say "goodbye" to the disposables in this house. I know my mom is still going to use disposables on him though and probably everyone else will too when I'm not around, but at least he won't be in them all of the time.
So, going back to me having a "mommy" moment. Actually there were two moments today. The first having happened after my mailman left a brown box on top of my mailbox (it was the Moby.) I rushed in and opened the box and wanted to try it right away but I don't think Smasher would have it, plus I can only carry him on my back and right now..well, that just doesn't seem like too much fun. The second moment was when Smasher and I rounded the corner and I saw a huge box sitting on my doorstep. I just about screamed like a little girl at a Jonas Brothers concert (my new favorite analogy, by the way.) I got in. Put Smasher down for a nap and tore open the box. I'm missing like four of them. Three of them I knew about and they will all be to me by next week, so it's all good.
So, my unexpected life has got me excited about cloth diapers (which while VERY cute, will ultimately be holding poo), Moby wraps and baby clothes. How did I end up here again? I must have gotten lucky somewhere along the way!
So, for now, auf wiedersehen....I have laundry to do :)
This past week has kind of been awesome. I've got something that I ordered almost everyday and I now I received everything!!! I got all of her feeding supplies last week and then today my new Moby and all of their diapers came in. I kind of want to test the Moby of Smash, but I don't know if he'd like it much. I may have to let The Hubby try it since I'm sure my back would hurt after too long. I'm about to start washing all of the diapers since in order to get the maximum absorbency out of them you have to pre-wash them about 5 times or so. They should be ready by tonight though and I think Smasher will be wearing them tomorrow. Hopefully we can say "goodbye" to the disposables in this house. I know my mom is still going to use disposables on him though and probably everyone else will too when I'm not around, but at least he won't be in them all of the time.
So, going back to me having a "mommy" moment. Actually there were two moments today. The first having happened after my mailman left a brown box on top of my mailbox (it was the Moby.) I rushed in and opened the box and wanted to try it right away but I don't think Smasher would have it, plus I can only carry him on my back and right now..well, that just doesn't seem like too much fun. The second moment was when Smasher and I rounded the corner and I saw a huge box sitting on my doorstep. I just about screamed like a little girl at a Jonas Brothers concert (my new favorite analogy, by the way.) I got in. Put Smasher down for a nap and tore open the box. I'm missing like four of them. Three of them I knew about and they will all be to me by next week, so it's all good.
So, my unexpected life has got me excited about cloth diapers (which while VERY cute, will ultimately be holding poo), Moby wraps and baby clothes. How did I end up here again? I must have gotten lucky somewhere along the way!
So, for now, auf wiedersehen....I have laundry to do :)
Saturday, February 27, 2010
Step #1 - Cloth diapers
With soon to be TWO kids in diapers, I knew we had to find something better. With just one kid (a toddler at that) we were throwing out at least two to three bags of just dirty diapers a week! Now, I know that newborns gotta do their business 8-12 times a day so I shuddered to think about how many diapers we were going to go through. Not to mention, Asher must have a small bladder because he still goes through probably 8 a day. With no end of using diapers in sight, I started looking into to cloth diapers. I don't know too many people who use them but the ones that do say that they LOVE them! They gush about the ease, the comfort and the overall eco and economical benefits. How could I not at least research it?
I know Cody is getting tired of me talking about cloth diapers, but since it is such an investment, I had to make sure he was on board too, which luckily, he is! The thing is, there are so many types for cloth diapers out there. I had NO idea just how many options there were. I assumed people used the pre-fold type cloth diapers like the burp rags I used for Alien #1 (Asher). And while some people use those and apparently they are a great idea for a back up system, there are actually cloth diapers that come really close to working the exact same way as a disposable! I was pretty surprised. I started looking for about a month before I ordered my first order. It took me just that long to look at all of the reviews and weigh all the pros and cons of each diaper. Not to mention figure out how many diapers I needed for my two aliens.
So, first came the pre-folds. They seem to me like rectangular pieces of cloth. Some of them are divided into thirds with the middle section being thicker so that they absorb more. Some of them have to be fold or used with an insert to achieve thickness in the center third. You have to use diaper pins, snappis (cool little snag type closures) or a water-proof diaper cover to secure them. Pre-folds are not waterproof by themselves. I found most people use a diaper cover to avoid leaks. I ordered 12 of these as a "backup" since they seem to fit most babies"
Then there were the fitted. They were more contoured, almost like a disposable diaper, around the legs for more ease and possibly comfort. Again you have to use either diaper pins, snappis or a diaper cover to secure these. A cover is also used with these to prevent leaks. I decided against these, for now, due to the fact that they are the same as the pre-folds except fitted so you don't have the range of size with them. For me it was a money-saving issue.
Then came the pockets. These are cool little diapers with a pocket sewn into a (usually) waterproof cover. You simply tuck an insert into the pocket and then take it out when it gets dirty. Simple really. One brand I found doesn't even require you to take out the insert. You just take off the diaper and throw it in the diaper pail. Super simple.
Another kind is the one size. It comes with a whole bunch of snaps on the front. You set it on the lowest for newborns, the middle of infants and the top row for toddlers. Most brands say that they work for 7lbs-35lbs. I'll test that theory on Alien #2 (Augustine) when she gets here. Most of the diapers that I ordered fall into this catagory due to the cost effectiveness. You can use them on multiple kids. All you have to do is adjust the snaps. Also, I found that you can find the one sized diapers in pockets, All In Ones (AIOs) and the fitted diapers. I went with the one-size pockets for the most part. In fact the bulk of what I ordered comes from a company called The Natural Baby Co. called Gro Baby diapers. This is a system where you get a waterproof, organic shell and then you snap in the soakers and boosters (made from organic cotton). You can use 2-4 shells in the course of a day. I like that. The other system I ordered is called Smartipants. They're the ones that the insert comes out in the wash. They sound easy enough. They're usually waterproof.
And the final kind are the All In Ones (AIOs). Now some people swear by these and I would like to try them but they are usually made for a certain size and they're rather expensive so I chose to save trying them for another time. They are as close to disposable diapers as you can get and still be in cloth. They seem to be the easiest option, but also the most expensive.
Confused yet? I know I am! I still am and I already ordered my first batch. The thing I had to do was look at what was best for my budget and for my family. Since I have two little aliens I needed something that would work with both of them, so I chose mainly pocket one-size diapers. So you ordered your diapers. You're done, right? Wrong. There's cloth wipes, the diaper pail, the wet bags for your diaper bags, the liners for your diaper pail. And oh so much more that I am just now beginning to see what I got myself into.
Wipes. They are essential to every diapering mom and pop out there. If you're going to do cloth diapers because you want to save money and for the environment, it kind of defeats the purpose if you use disposable wipes instead of cloth. So I ordered the cloth wipes as well. I've been told you just use a commercial wipe container or a diaper warmer and use one of the many wipe solutions you can find online to wet the wipes. Some companies even make spray cleaners for wipes. I think what I've decided to do is make my own solution for home but throw one of the spray bottles in the diaper bag.
The diaper pail is a must have for any kind of diapering. Some sites said you could use a wet pail (one in which you fill with water) but that just didn't seem safe with a toddler running around here so I'm going with what they call a dry pail. This is where the liner comes in. If the baby has gone #2 in the diaper you can either swish it around in the toilet or buy a mini sprayer which just sprays the mess off of the diaper and into the toilet. The diaper then goes into the diaper pail. If the baby has just gone #1 in the diaper, then you can just throw it in the pail. At least I hope that's how it works. We'll see. I also ordered some diaper pail smelly good things. I think that might be important. I plan on doing a load every other day, so hopefully the smell won't be too bad.
A wet bag is a small or medium tote bag you take with you when out and about. Simple enough. Again, we'll see.
And I guess you can't use just any ol' kind of rash cream because it will break down the integrity of the diaper. The creams that are safe seem a little steep price wise so I'm going to look into making my own.
So, after spending around $700 in diapers and the accessories, I find myself asking if it's worth it? And the honest truth...YES! Absolutely. If I try it and decide for some reason that it's not right for my family, then alright, but I don't think that will be the case. So my reasons for giving cloth diapers a chance:
1.) Cost effective. Although at first they seem like a large investment in the beginning, I'll actually be saving tons of money by spending $700 for the amount of diapers and accessories I need for two aliens for their diapering lives and spending thousands of dollars in disposables for each kid. Not to mention is Cody and I do have other children, chances are we can use the diapers again.
2.) Environmentally friendly. The average kid goes through 7,000 diapers between birth and potty-training. By using cloth, that means I'm not throwing that many diapers in our landfills. Some sites that I came across even said that it can take up to 500 years for a disposable diaper to decompose completely. Gross. The same can be said for using cloth wipes. Also, by using products that are organic (such as the Gro Baby system) I'm helping out the growers of the pesticide free fabrics.
3.) Comfort. I want my aliens to be comfortable. Cloth diapers, for the most part, contain none of the harmful chemicals that you see in disposable diapers. Plus, which is more comfortable when put next to your skin? Soft fabric or paper? I'm going to go with the fabric.
4.) Faster potty-training. From what I understand from people that have used cloth diapers on the kiddos and from some of the sites I visited, potty training comes easier to those who were diapered in cloth and sometimes kids are ready up to six months sooner since there really is nothing to wick the moisture away. The feel wet. Most of them don't like it, so they learn to not feel that way. I like it.
Those are the main reasons. I'm sure I'll come across more pros and cons as I go along, but for now I think I have a good basis.
So, as soon as I get my stash of diapers, which should be on Tuesday, I'll start posting my reviews on them.
By the way, if you're looking into cloth diapers, you should check out www.diaperjunction.com. They are so friendly if you have to talk to them personally and they have some really good package deals to help you out cost wise. I think I'll be using them to get all of my cloth diapering needs met from now on. They also have a blog and some really helpful advice about how to launder and start your own stash of cloth diapers.
I really wish I would've started cloth diapering when Alien#1 was born. Oh well. You live, you learn.
I know Cody is getting tired of me talking about cloth diapers, but since it is such an investment, I had to make sure he was on board too, which luckily, he is! The thing is, there are so many types for cloth diapers out there. I had NO idea just how many options there were. I assumed people used the pre-fold type cloth diapers like the burp rags I used for Alien #1 (Asher). And while some people use those and apparently they are a great idea for a back up system, there are actually cloth diapers that come really close to working the exact same way as a disposable! I was pretty surprised. I started looking for about a month before I ordered my first order. It took me just that long to look at all of the reviews and weigh all the pros and cons of each diaper. Not to mention figure out how many diapers I needed for my two aliens.
So, first came the pre-folds. They seem to me like rectangular pieces of cloth. Some of them are divided into thirds with the middle section being thicker so that they absorb more. Some of them have to be fold or used with an insert to achieve thickness in the center third. You have to use diaper pins, snappis (cool little snag type closures) or a water-proof diaper cover to secure them. Pre-folds are not waterproof by themselves. I found most people use a diaper cover to avoid leaks. I ordered 12 of these as a "backup" since they seem to fit most babies"
Then there were the fitted. They were more contoured, almost like a disposable diaper, around the legs for more ease and possibly comfort. Again you have to use either diaper pins, snappis or a diaper cover to secure these. A cover is also used with these to prevent leaks. I decided against these, for now, due to the fact that they are the same as the pre-folds except fitted so you don't have the range of size with them. For me it was a money-saving issue.
Then came the pockets. These are cool little diapers with a pocket sewn into a (usually) waterproof cover. You simply tuck an insert into the pocket and then take it out when it gets dirty. Simple really. One brand I found doesn't even require you to take out the insert. You just take off the diaper and throw it in the diaper pail. Super simple.
Another kind is the one size. It comes with a whole bunch of snaps on the front. You set it on the lowest for newborns, the middle of infants and the top row for toddlers. Most brands say that they work for 7lbs-35lbs. I'll test that theory on Alien #2 (Augustine) when she gets here. Most of the diapers that I ordered fall into this catagory due to the cost effectiveness. You can use them on multiple kids. All you have to do is adjust the snaps. Also, I found that you can find the one sized diapers in pockets, All In Ones (AIOs) and the fitted diapers. I went with the one-size pockets for the most part. In fact the bulk of what I ordered comes from a company called The Natural Baby Co. called Gro Baby diapers. This is a system where you get a waterproof, organic shell and then you snap in the soakers and boosters (made from organic cotton). You can use 2-4 shells in the course of a day. I like that. The other system I ordered is called Smartipants. They're the ones that the insert comes out in the wash. They sound easy enough. They're usually waterproof.
And the final kind are the All In Ones (AIOs). Now some people swear by these and I would like to try them but they are usually made for a certain size and they're rather expensive so I chose to save trying them for another time. They are as close to disposable diapers as you can get and still be in cloth. They seem to be the easiest option, but also the most expensive.
Confused yet? I know I am! I still am and I already ordered my first batch. The thing I had to do was look at what was best for my budget and for my family. Since I have two little aliens I needed something that would work with both of them, so I chose mainly pocket one-size diapers. So you ordered your diapers. You're done, right? Wrong. There's cloth wipes, the diaper pail, the wet bags for your diaper bags, the liners for your diaper pail. And oh so much more that I am just now beginning to see what I got myself into.
Wipes. They are essential to every diapering mom and pop out there. If you're going to do cloth diapers because you want to save money and for the environment, it kind of defeats the purpose if you use disposable wipes instead of cloth. So I ordered the cloth wipes as well. I've been told you just use a commercial wipe container or a diaper warmer and use one of the many wipe solutions you can find online to wet the wipes. Some companies even make spray cleaners for wipes. I think what I've decided to do is make my own solution for home but throw one of the spray bottles in the diaper bag.
The diaper pail is a must have for any kind of diapering. Some sites said you could use a wet pail (one in which you fill with water) but that just didn't seem safe with a toddler running around here so I'm going with what they call a dry pail. This is where the liner comes in. If the baby has gone #2 in the diaper you can either swish it around in the toilet or buy a mini sprayer which just sprays the mess off of the diaper and into the toilet. The diaper then goes into the diaper pail. If the baby has just gone #1 in the diaper, then you can just throw it in the pail. At least I hope that's how it works. We'll see. I also ordered some diaper pail smelly good things. I think that might be important. I plan on doing a load every other day, so hopefully the smell won't be too bad.
A wet bag is a small or medium tote bag you take with you when out and about. Simple enough. Again, we'll see.
And I guess you can't use just any ol' kind of rash cream because it will break down the integrity of the diaper. The creams that are safe seem a little steep price wise so I'm going to look into making my own.
So, after spending around $700 in diapers and the accessories, I find myself asking if it's worth it? And the honest truth...YES! Absolutely. If I try it and decide for some reason that it's not right for my family, then alright, but I don't think that will be the case. So my reasons for giving cloth diapers a chance:
1.) Cost effective. Although at first they seem like a large investment in the beginning, I'll actually be saving tons of money by spending $700 for the amount of diapers and accessories I need for two aliens for their diapering lives and spending thousands of dollars in disposables for each kid. Not to mention is Cody and I do have other children, chances are we can use the diapers again.
2.) Environmentally friendly. The average kid goes through 7,000 diapers between birth and potty-training. By using cloth, that means I'm not throwing that many diapers in our landfills. Some sites that I came across even said that it can take up to 500 years for a disposable diaper to decompose completely. Gross. The same can be said for using cloth wipes. Also, by using products that are organic (such as the Gro Baby system) I'm helping out the growers of the pesticide free fabrics.
3.) Comfort. I want my aliens to be comfortable. Cloth diapers, for the most part, contain none of the harmful chemicals that you see in disposable diapers. Plus, which is more comfortable when put next to your skin? Soft fabric or paper? I'm going to go with the fabric.
4.) Faster potty-training. From what I understand from people that have used cloth diapers on the kiddos and from some of the sites I visited, potty training comes easier to those who were diapered in cloth and sometimes kids are ready up to six months sooner since there really is nothing to wick the moisture away. The feel wet. Most of them don't like it, so they learn to not feel that way. I like it.
Those are the main reasons. I'm sure I'll come across more pros and cons as I go along, but for now I think I have a good basis.
So, as soon as I get my stash of diapers, which should be on Tuesday, I'll start posting my reviews on them.
By the way, if you're looking into cloth diapers, you should check out www.diaperjunction.com. They are so friendly if you have to talk to them personally and they have some really good package deals to help you out cost wise. I think I'll be using them to get all of my cloth diapering needs met from now on. They also have a blog and some really helpful advice about how to launder and start your own stash of cloth diapers.
I really wish I would've started cloth diapering when Alien#1 was born. Oh well. You live, you learn.
And so it begins.....
I'm starting this blog to document my attempt at "going green" while bringing my husband and my kid (will be kids in a couple of months) with me. This is not going to be an easy task and may take longer to initiate than I orginally planned, but here I am. I'm excited, nervous, and hoping that I still have a husband after our transformation into a green family. It's also about saving money by just changing our living habits. My hope for this blog is that others who are looking for ways to save money, the environment and most importantly have fun while doing it, can find some answers here.
I have a few hiccups in my plan:
1.) I live in Enid, OK. Oklahoma is typically not considered a very green-friendly state. We are making strides to become more ecologically conscience but still, we have so far to go. Enid is a fairly small city. We don't really have much in the way of community resources for becoming a more eco-friendly town. We have some great things that are just staring up that should help though. We have a lovely farmer's market each Saturday morning and while I plan on planting our own garden soon, it will be a great place for other organic and locally grown produce, meats, herbs and all around some cool stuff. We also have a community garden which I haven't looked into much but might just have to start checking out. We do have a small recycling "center." I say that loosly because I've never once seen anyone manning this center, but oh well. Even though Enid is going to be a hard place to transform, I think it can be done.
2.) Sometimes, it's not easy being green. (Sorry. Big Kermit fan.) But seriously, sometimes being eco-friendly isn't econo-friendly. Usually in the long-run it ends up being more cost effective but it can get a little expensive I've found. So, my hiccup here will be trying to transform on a budget. Cody, my husband, is the only one working right now since I've quit my job due to some issues with my pregnancy. While we're not completely broke, we're not exactly rolling in moolah. I stay at home with Asher during the day and we haven't yet decided if I'll go back when Augustine is born or not. The more time I spend with Asher, the more I want to be a stay at home mom, or maybe at least until I can finish school via online classes.
3.) I rent my house, so putting in green toilets, light fixtures, etc...is kind of out. I doubt my landlord would be willing to reimburse me for the cost and might actually not like the idea of me replacing stuff. I'm willing to talk to him about these options, but one step at a time.
All of these things seem like obstacles but not unscalable obstacles. I think I can do this with my little green aliens in tow (plus a husband.)
I have a few hiccups in my plan:
1.) I live in Enid, OK. Oklahoma is typically not considered a very green-friendly state. We are making strides to become more ecologically conscience but still, we have so far to go. Enid is a fairly small city. We don't really have much in the way of community resources for becoming a more eco-friendly town. We have some great things that are just staring up that should help though. We have a lovely farmer's market each Saturday morning and while I plan on planting our own garden soon, it will be a great place for other organic and locally grown produce, meats, herbs and all around some cool stuff. We also have a community garden which I haven't looked into much but might just have to start checking out. We do have a small recycling "center." I say that loosly because I've never once seen anyone manning this center, but oh well. Even though Enid is going to be a hard place to transform, I think it can be done.
2.) Sometimes, it's not easy being green. (Sorry. Big Kermit fan.) But seriously, sometimes being eco-friendly isn't econo-friendly. Usually in the long-run it ends up being more cost effective but it can get a little expensive I've found. So, my hiccup here will be trying to transform on a budget. Cody, my husband, is the only one working right now since I've quit my job due to some issues with my pregnancy. While we're not completely broke, we're not exactly rolling in moolah. I stay at home with Asher during the day and we haven't yet decided if I'll go back when Augustine is born or not. The more time I spend with Asher, the more I want to be a stay at home mom, or maybe at least until I can finish school via online classes.
3.) I rent my house, so putting in green toilets, light fixtures, etc...is kind of out. I doubt my landlord would be willing to reimburse me for the cost and might actually not like the idea of me replacing stuff. I'm willing to talk to him about these options, but one step at a time.
All of these things seem like obstacles but not unscalable obstacles. I think I can do this with my little green aliens in tow (plus a husband.)
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