Here is a super neat and very thrifty way to be green. Forget about purchasing paper towels. They are wasteful, cost alot of money over time, and are deffinately not earth friendly.
Since I had made the switch from disposable sponges for the dishes to knit washclothes I decided to make the switch from paper towels to UN-paper towels.
The concept is not new, but surprisingly few people actually think of it. You can purchase Un-paper towels that are WAHM made with snaps and they can snap together and can be rolled up around your paper towel holder! But also if you want to be just as thrifty as eco friendly you can cut up scraps of any cotton fabric and use those, or what I chose to do, purchase those bundles of white or colored wash clothes (i found a dozen for $3.50 at walmart) and the next time you go to wipe off your counters, instead use your UNpaper towels.
Why is it that in todays society, breastfeeding is still looked down upon? How on earth can giving your baby or child what is best, what was intended for them to eat, be taboo?
There was a lot of controversy back in 2009 when SalmaHyak visited a hospital in war torn Sierra Leone. She selflessly comforts and breastfeeds a one week old baby who was malnourished. His mothers milk had dried up and Selma felt she had plenty to share as she was currently weaning her 1 year old daughter. Watch the video below:
When I saw this video I was immediately impressed with her willingness to step up and feed this hungry little person. I would absolutely do the same thing in such a situation. I have in the past donated my milk to mothers who were having supply issues and did not want to give formula.
Why is this considered so taboo to others? We willingly, by the millions, feed our children cows milk and formula (which is man made chemicals with cows milk) on a daily basis. Cows milk and any other milk that isn't human breastmilk was not intended for humans. Cows milk was designed to be the perfect food to help sustain a baby calf. Human breastmilk was designed to be the perfect food to help sustain a baby human.
In our worlds History, it has been documented that wet nurses were a common solution to a mothers lactation complications. If a mother was unable to sustain her child with her own milk, a lactating mother would be brought in to help feed that child. Even more importantly, if a mother had died during childbirth it was crucial to have a wet nurse come in to feed the child until it was weaned.
This of course, is before breast pumps and formula and all that jazz. But its the very basic concept that a human child needs human milk and that, regardless of circumstance, should be what that child receives to be as healthy as possible.
Sure, people will cry and say that formula is the second best option. But this is not true. According to the WHO (World Health Organization) infant feeding is ranked by,
1.Breast milk from the breast
2. Pumped breast milk from the baby's own mother
3. Donated breast milk
4. Infant formula
Why is it that most mother immediately gravitate towards formula when needing to supplement?
I believe that it because formula has been made readily available without a prescription. You can purchase it at any grocery store, even some gas stations and County Health Departments hand it out like free candy. Formula is not sterile like breastmilk. It is overly processed, is made from cows milk, has high fructose corn syrup and sugars sweetening it up just so babies will drink it, and if you have ever read the ingredients on the back of a can, you would be floored.
Most parents are pretty health conscious about the foods their toddlers and children eat, I know I am. We stay away from overly processed foods, preservatives, non organic produce and milk... But why are there parents who still immediately gravitate towards formula when they hit a small bump in the road of breastfeeding (and believe me, I've been through those bumps!). My son has never had a single drop of formula. Ive been through a gall bladder removal surgery when he was just 2 months old, I pumped like a mad woman for WEEKS before I had it taken out. My mom bottle fed him the pumped milk while I was away. Once I was home I writhed in pain, only taking 2 doses of my Tylenol with codeine and then throwing it out so I could breastfeed him. Later on we suffered through a week of pain with a clogged duct that finally was relieved when I developed a nipple blister I was able to pop. It was painful to feed him for the next few weeks but we got over that hump too. He's now 7 months old and still breastfeeds for 90% of his nutrition. He takes a bit of yogurt or pureed veggies and fruits here and there but that's it.
So, while it seems this blog is going no where fast, I just wanted to say, no SCREAM out there to all the mommas. Breastfeeding is the best, most natural, amazingly healthy thing you can do for you babies!
The WHO recommends exclusive breastfeeding to 6 months, and then breastfeeding until at least a year and after that up until age 2 or beyond with child led weaning... I would like to see more mommas out there boobing their babies on the playground, in the mall, at the restaurant, at the pool, anywhere- ANYTIME. Who's with me? I know I don't mind publicly announcing that I will do what is best for my baby :)
Vada and I really loved the first season of Jamie Oliver's "Food Revolution". To go along with our de-stressing and dietary changes we have been making some of his recipes. One we recently embarked on was a super easy, very yummy Omelet.
We chose of course to go with completely organic ingredients.
First I heated up a stainless steel frying pan on med/low heat, then added half a tablespoon of Organic salt free butter and let it melt to bubbling.
In a bowl i whisked 3 cage free, organic eggs, a pinch of natural sea salt, and my rendition of shredded cheese (the cheese grater decided to hide from us this morning. Possibly with all our missing socks).
My daughter didn't want spinach, but I did add full circle brand Organic canned spinach to mine. (fresh spinach would have been better but i didn't have any).
Then I poured the eggs in to the pan, moving the pan around to let the eggs cover the entire bottom of the pan. Then leave them be! I just let it cook for about 5 to 10 minutes (time i use for clean up) once you can get the spatula to lift all around the edges you are ready to fold it in half.
For my daughters I added 2 slices of Hormel's all Natural ham in the middle before slicing, then sprinkled the horribly ugly non shredded cheese on top lol
for mine i just folded in half and walla... done.. So easy, perfect, and amazingly tasty. Now, everyone go forth, be healthy, and make your family a fresh organic breakfast!
I desperately want to press pause. My little guy is 7 months old today. It seems so old and at the same time like it wasn't that long ago he was born. He is more than halfway to one!
When my daughter was a baby it seemed like the time was slower, looking back. I remember her being a baby for so long. As you get older, time just speeds up. Maybe Adam Sandler will let me borrow that neat remote from "Click"?
7 months ago I was leaking amniotic fluids in my best friends husbands truck lol
Being a single mom, I actually had enlisted my best friend Maggie as my birth partner. I chose her over other people in my life because she is a rock, is sweet as pie, loving and caring but when she has to be, a complete psycho controlling bitch. That is why I love her :) lol
I needed her rock side to get me through the birth, and then I needed her controlling side to tame the nursing staff who all felt that birth was a major medical emergency needing massive amounts of intervention. I believe otherwise. Unfortunately being a single mom also has made me financially strained. My medical insurance doesn't allow for a home birth and financially I could not afford one with a midwife. Thankfully I was able to have a midwife still, just had to birth in the hospital...
My birth plan was extensive. I wanted the option to move about and walk around and not be forced to lay in a bed. I wanted the option of eating and drinking instead of an IV. I wanted no epidural. And that was just for ME, the mom in labor.
Everything went so fast mostly because when your in pain, time has no more meaning. Maggie drove me to the hospital at 5:30 after my water had broken. By 8pm I was in pain. Pain pain pain pain. It was deep, strong, low pain all through my pelvic area, contractions in my lower pelvis, not at all like labor with my daughter 10 years earlier where it was all in my stomach and much more manageable. This was intense. Then my midwife informs me that I have to stay in bed, because I have to have antibiotics for testing positive for strep-b a week earlier... awesome.
With limited mobility I was now in so much pain I couldn't keep my eyes open. I shut down and went in to my own world. I remember screaming through every contraction even though I tried hard not to. I have no idea how long this lasted because at some point I cried out for an epidural, screaming at nurses that I didn't care if the anesthesiologist was at home in bed, get his ass in here NOW. No, I didn't want the freakin pool that you all just spent 30 minutes filling. No, i don't want to sit on that ridiculous ball, no, i want drugs. NOW, lots!
I really wish I could say I regretted getting that epidural, but I don't. I am a huge advocate for natural birth, really. I just wish I could do it. I have no tolerance for pain what so ever. But literally moments after having it, I was dilated to a 10 after being stuck at 3 for HOURS. And a few pushes later, my little Emmett Michael was here! So, I would like to think that little to none of the epidural got to him :) He was wide eyed and very aware from birth, looking around, always sticking out his tongue. He was amazing, and still is! He is my non vaccinated, exclusively breastfed, intact, co slept, baby worn, organic little guy.
But now, we are more than halfway to one. Time to hit pause!
For our Earth Day celebrations the kids and I spent the morning playing without electricity, just enjoying the beautiful day. Then that evening we spent with friends playing "whatever ball" which is a neat rendition of softball, kickball, using any kind of ball. Hence the name, whatever ball :)
Then we made a trip to the hardware store and picked up the fixings to hang a clothesline in our backyard in an attempt to lower the use of the dryer and also save money on our electric bill. However, according to my landlord, the city in which we live has an ordinance that says you are not allowed to have a clothesline or hang any clothing from porches/fences at any time.
This seemed outrageous to me. Why on earth would there be such an ordinance? Hanging your clothes to dry conserves energy which is good for the planet, and saves money!
Since I am not the kind of person to take no as an answer, i acted immediately. I called the city clerks office and spoke to a very nice woman. She informed me that while it was ridiculous, it was truly an ordinance. So, I decided to take it upon myself to have the ordinance changed. I asked the clerk to call me back with the location on the web I could find a copy of the ordinance and then diligently began researching ways to have this ordinance changed. Not of course before posting a status update on facebook letting all my friends and family know that the bag of poo was on fire in my neck of the woods...
Turns out, its extremely hard to locate information on how to go about getting an ordinance changed, most likely because the people who make and enforce the ordinances don't want them changed....
About a half our in to my research I get a call back from the nice lady at the clerks office with great news. Turns out allot of people THINK this is an ordinance but its not. It is not found in any chapter or section of the city ordinances. HOORAY!
So this morning while my little dude was happily gnawing on a teething ring riding in his sling, I hung our clothesline. Its nothing fancy, is minimal, and was cheap - exactly how I like it.
We love our clothesline and little mans dipes smell wonderful now!
Here is a super neat and very thrifty way to be green. Forget about purchasing paper towels. They are wasteful, cost alot of money over time, and are deffinately not earth friendly.
