Friday, April 1, 2011

This One's for the Ladies

Hello again!  I've been having an internal debate about this post, but have decided to just put it out there.  If there are any gentlemen reading, however, trust me when I say that this post is for the ladies.  I'm going to talk about "girl stuff," and not the type of deep-dark insights into the psyche of women that men wish they understood.  If you are not comfortable with mention of "that time of the month" and what to do about it, please stop reading right now.  I'm going to talk about feminine hygiene.  I've made that as clear as I can, so if you read on and this post makes you uncomfortable, you can't say I didn't warn you.

As a woman, there are a few days each month when I generate a lot of extra trash.  Disposable feminine hygiene products are quite convenient but, whatever your product of choice, it has to be disposed of in some way.  Personally, I've always been a tampon girl.  A couple of years ago, we had some pretty major sewer issues at our business.  While trying to find the problem, our plumber called me into the room where he was working to show me everything he had pulled out of the line.  The bulk of the completely disgusting pile was tampons.  Apparently, though they are "flushable" in that they will go down when flushed, they do not degrade or break up like toilet paper and can stay in the line indefinitely.  The other disposable options go straight to the trash, almost all involve plastics, and many contain chemicals.

But what's a girl to do, right?  I'm so glad you asked!  About 6 months ago I stumbled across the menstrual cup, which is just what it sounds like - a reusable cup to collect menstual fluid.  Admittedly, I first thought, "NO. WAY."  I started reading reviews just to see what kind of crazy lady wants to use such a thing.  However, most of them didn't seem crazy at all, and some were awfully convincing.  I almost gave up on the idea when I read one review that suggested this may not be the best product for those who are squeamish about their own body fluids.  But, I have made a commitment to myself to try new things, so, reluctantly and with low expectation, I bought one. 

Several cycles later, I am a true convert.  The first month, my poor husband had to listen to an endless litany of my surprise and wonder at how comfortable and convenient the cup is for me.  Though I do find it a little gross, it's no worse than the disposable options and the benefits far outweigh the gross factor.

So, what is this thing and how does it work?  There are several brands on the market, but I have the Diva Cup since that is what was available where I was shopping.  It's a medical-grade silicone cup that is inserted similar to a tampon.  Rather than absorbing the menstrual flow, it is collected in the cup.  The wearer will then empty the cup into the toilet periodically, wash the cup, and reinsert.  No wrappers, insertion tubes, tampons or pads to flush or throw away!

Now, I love the earth-friendly benefits, but I wouldn't be using it if there were not also practical benefits.  It is just as comfortable as a tampon, if not more so.  I got lucky in that the first brand I bought "fits" me comfortably, but some reviewers suggested that you may need to try more than one before you find the best one for you.  There is a small learning curve on how to insert it correctly, but, trust me, you will know if it isn't right before it makes a big mess.  I also recommend a little water-based lubricant to help with insertion, especially on less heavy days.

My favorite benefit is that it only needs to be emptied about every 12 hours.  Because it simply holds the fluid rather than absorbing into a fibrous material where bad stuff can grow, there is no risk of Toxic Shock Syndrome.  You can wear the cup while sleeping all night!  On my heaviest day, I empty it first thing in the morning, around mid-afternoon, and before bed.  The other days I only need to empty it in the morning and before bed.  I no longer have to stock my purse and make sure I have enough supplies every time I go to the restroom.  I have not had any problems at all with leakage or unexpectedly needing to empty the cup, but it would be easy enough to do just about anywhere if I did. 

There are other benefits as well!  No more running out of supplies at inconvenient times, unplanned trips to the store to buy supplies, or worrying if I have enough with me when I'm out - in fact, I don't have to carry anything extra with me at all.  No more nighttime messes or bulky nighttime protection.  And, because the fluid does not come in contact with the air, there is very little odor.  Once in place, I can forget about it for 8 - 12 hours at a time.  It is just as discrete under clothes or bathing suits as a tampon.  I haven't given it the full swimming test but I have bathed with no leakage and no water held in the cup afterward.

Now, I have also been trying Lunapads pantyliners - a cotton, washable, reusable pantyliner - as backup in case of leaks.  Since I have very little leakage - just the occasional spot or two - I haven't really put them to a true test.  Given my squeamishness, I don't know how I would feel about reusing them for heavy flow, but as a backup for the cup it isn't really different than washing and re-wearing underwear.  They are pretty bulky compared to disposable pantyliners, though, so I don't use them as often as I could.  But, if I only throw away 4 or 5 liners each cycle, that's a big improvement!

So how does this balance for me?
Heart/Body/Mind:  Healtier for my body by avoiding the risk of Toxic Shock Syndrome.  There are also often chemicals used in the production of feminie products which remain in the final product (such as bleach which remains as dioxin, a carcinogen) that are not healthy for the body.
Time:  I can skip the unplanned trips to the store and shopping on the feminine hygiene aisle.  Less time spent changing product throughout the day as well!
My Wallet: The upfront investment is a good bit higher, but over time I'll save the cost and then some!
The Earth:  Reducing the chemicals and almost zero waste cycles!

Thursday, February 17, 2011

The Lunch Kit

When I was about middle-school age, I remember asking my mom if I could start taking my lunch to school.  She told me I could if I wanted to get up early enough to pack it myself.  That wasn't going to happen, so I ate school lunches just about every day.  Most of the time I even enjoyed it. 

When my son started school, that sounded like a good rule to me, too.  However, he was always VERY hungry (and cranky!) after school.  When I would ask him what he had for lunch, he would say, "one chicken nugget," or something similar.  He said he just didn't have time to eat more.  I was skeptical until I spent a lunch period with him.  At least at his school, the lunch period is very short and those that stand in line for school lunch only have a very few minutes to eat once they sit down.  I suppose it's still enough time if you expect the kids to only eat and not talk, but these are kids we're talking about. Lunch is one of the few times when they are not required to sit quietly and listen to the teacher.  I noticed those who brought lunches had a lot more time to both eat and visit with friends.  Mom-guilt started to nag at me and I decided to find a way to send a healthy lunch with him every day.

My first approach was to make it as easy for myself as possible.  Those individual snacks and fruit packs are soooo convenient - just grab and go.  I was using zipper storage bags for sandwiches and other items and plastic spoons or forks when needed.  Toss in a juice box and a paper napkin and he can simply throw away everything at the end of lunch. 

Once I was over my "I don't have time for this" feelings and settled into the routine, my eco-guilt started to get to me.  He was using a re-useable lunch bag, but everything else was disposable and wasteful.  He often did not eat everything in the pre-portioned packages, but the left-overs were rarely in any condition to use again the next day, if they even made it home instead of into the trash.  When I packed all his trash back into his lunch bag one day while on a field trip, I realized one little person can make a lot of trash in just one meal!  I resolved to start reducing that waste and find some alternatives.

It's taken some time, but he now has nothing to throw away after lunch, except on the days when he takes a yogurt tube.  I haven't figured out an alternative to that one, yet, and he really loves them.  Here's the gear we use:

- Sandwiches are packed in reuseable sandwich boxes.
- A small thermos is perfect for soup and pasta, but we also pre-warm ours and use it for chicken nuggets and other bite-size items.
- I use very small plastic bowls for some fruits and other snacks.  These also offer the advantage of some crush protection so uneaten snack crackers or pretzels can just stay in the lunch bag for tomorrow.
Go Fresh reuseable snack envelopes are a great alternative to zipper storage bags.  My son loves the way these open to a tiny placemat so he can dump out the contents.
- Small GoToobs are wonderful for condiments.  He loves a tube of dressing to squirt on veggies or ketchup with nuggets.
- I found some sturdy plastic 8 oz drink bottles that fit nicely in his lunch bag and hold up well in the freezer.  I place them in his lunch bag frozen to help keep everything else cool and they are thawed but still cold by lunch.
- A cloth napkin and a "real" fork or spoon and he's ready!

I worried at first that he would throw away or lose things, but he's been great about keeping up with everything.  Since he doesn't really throw anything away, nothing gets confused or accidentally thrown out with something else.  Everything just goes back in the bag.  I do have to wash everything, of course, but most of it goes in the dishwasher and emptying his bag and washing up take less than 5 minutes each evening.  As an added benefit, I get to see exactly what he's eating each day - everything he didn't eat is still in the bag at the end of the day.

I bought enough of each type of container that I can make up portions for several days at a time, in quantities I know are right for him.  Having the various containers on hand also expands my options on what to send with him - I'm not limited to only things that come in single servings.  I even bought myself a lunch bag and am more likely to pack my own lunch occasionally. 

As a side note, I have to give credit to Reuseit.com for all the great ideas on ways to reduce waste and invest in reuseables.

So how does this balance for me?
Heart/Body/Mind:  Packing lunch for my son lets me make healthier choices for him.
Time:  I can't deny that this is more time consuming for me than school lunch or using pre-packaged convenience items.
My Wallet: The upfront investment is higher, but I save by not buying disposables, not wasting when the portions are not right, and avoiding single-serving packages which are typically more expensive.
The Earth:  Less waste of food and less trash to throw away!

Friday, February 11, 2011

Hot, Steamy Love

I have a new love in my life - homemade bread.  Like many people these days, I am trying to be better about what I feed my family and myself.  I try to pay attention to the ingredients in the products I buy and to at least limit the junk in our house.  I've made a commitment to myself to always consider if I can make a food myself before buying something pre-made.  If I make it myself I can control what goes into it, and it's often better and cheaper that way.  I'm also a busy (and sometimes lazy) mom, though.  If it isn't quick and easy, it probably won't last in my house.  This is why I absolutely L-O-V-E my bread machine.

I first received my bread machine as a gift probably 8 years ago.  I had great intentions when I unpacked it and tried a couple of the Quick-cycle recipes in the book that came with it.  The bread was good, but not great, and I soon lost interest.  The machine then sat on a shelf for years collecting dust.  When I started preparing for Thanksgiving 2009, however, I pulled it out again and tried a couple of full cycle recipes.  WOW!  The warm, fresh flavor and fluffy texture was soooo much better than the quick loaves.  I started experimenting with a few recipes and, within a few months, decided to try making all of our everyday bread.  Without the bread machine I would NEVER have even considered doing all the kneading and rising cycles by hand.

I don't think I've bought a loaf of sliced sandwich bread in close to a year.  Using the bread machine is as easy as measuring in a few ingredients and usually takes less than 10 minutes to assemble most loaves.  Then I just hit Start and forget about it for about 3 hours.  Mine has a timer so I assemble the ingredients in the morning and schedule the loaf to be ready when I get home after work.  It's such a nice welcome to come home to a house that smells of baking bread!

I did go through several less than stellar results and even a few complete failures.  I've learned a few lessons and figured out a few tips for more consistent success.  I've found 2 or 3 recipes that make great sandwich and toast bread and have tweaked them to be just right (for my taste, anyway).  I also have a couple of special occasion recipes I enjoy making for company.

It doesn't end there, though.  Once I had the basic loaf thing down, I started thinking about what else I can make with the bread machine.  I've made a variety of sweet breakfast/fruit breads.  I often use the Bake cycle to make delicious fresh fruit jam or jelly.  I've made homemade pizza crust, fresh baked pretzels, crusty french rolls, hamburger buns and hot dog buns using the Dough cycle to do most of the work, shaping by hand and then baking in the oven.  And the more success I have, the more confidence I have in trying new bread and dough recipes using the bread machine and even a few mixed by hand.

Many of the recipes I use make a large batch so I can have some now and freeze some for later.  Since homemade bread doesn't have any preservatives, it won't keep nearly as long as packaged loaves, but most freeze beautifully and thaw quickly.  I place what I expect to use in 2 - 3 days in my bread box and then freeze the rest immediately.  Then I can pull just what I need from the freezer and never have to run out for bread to finish a meal or make a sandwich.

If you have a bread machine collecting dust or have thought about getting one, I encourage you to give it a try.  I'd be happy to share tips and recipes, though I am no expert.

So how does this balance for me?
Heart/Body/Mind:  Having control over the ingredients lets me eliminate many preservatives and other bad stuff from our diet.
Time:  It takes a few minutes to make, longer for the things I shape and bake by hand, but it's easy and I really enjoy it!
My Wallet: I think it's a little cheaper, but not a huge savings.  I personally buy higher quality, often organic flours and such, so my loaves may be more than the cheapest pre-packaged loaf you would find, though definitely cheaper than many with comparable ingredients.
The Earth:  Honestly, I don't think that commercial bread manufacturing is a huge ecological problem, but every small step helps, right?

Thursday, January 27, 2011

Doing the Dishes

A few years ago I saw a TV show about people in the Pacific Northwest who have become smugglers because phosphates have been outlawed in their area.  Phosphates are found in just about every commercial automatic dishwasher detergent but are very harmful to the environment.  In the areas where phosphates were outlawed, only phosphate-free detergents could be sold / purchased.  The program interviewed several people who were making long trips "across the border" to other areas where they could buy traditional detergents.  They would bring them back in, sometimes in large quantities to sell to friends and neighbors, creating a black market for Cascade.  They claimed the phosphate-free varieties just didn't get their dishes clean enough and they were forced into a life of crime.  Oh, how I scoffed at these people.  How bad could it be?  Didn't they have anything better to do with their time?  So maybe the dishes didn't sparkle exactly the same, aren't the fishies worth a little less shine?

At the time, I couldn't find any phosphate-free options in our area, so I didn't have to prove it to myself.  I did check regularly, though, wondering why even at Whole Foods I couldn't find a greener automatic dishwasher detergent.  All kinds of other green cleaners were available, even at my regular grocery, including liquid dish soaps, but no detergent for the dishwasher.  When I finally found one, I snatched it up immediately, ready to prove to myself that these people were just nuts to waste their time and risk fines and other penalties for a little Electrasol.

It didn't quite work out that way.  No problems with the first couple of loads, but then the glasses started getting cloudy.  I could live with that, but then some things just didn't get clean and had to be run again or hand washed.  I stuck with it, though, until I started to get a black mold or mildew in my dishwasher.  That, I could not live with.  So I went back to the bad stuff until I found another phosphate-free brand.  That one ended just the same, though.  I tried 6 or 8 brands over the course of a few months - every single one I've been able to find around here - and they all had the same end result.  Some were better than others, but none worked for me long term.  I began to see how one might be motivated to setup a smuggling operation.

I started researching alternatives and found a few make-your-own recipes.  The first batch I made was tossed out after the first load.  I had to hand wash everything because it left a really nasty film on every dish.  The second recipe was better.  It handled the glass and earthenware just fine, but still left a similar film on plastic.  About 6 weeks ago I found a recipe that I am cautiously optimistic about.  Enough so that I am going to share it here.  It seems to work better than any of the other options I have tried, though not quite as well as my favorite bad stuff.  Here's the recipe:

1 cup Washing Soda (NOT baking soda, though Arm and Hammer makes the most common washing soda as well)
1 cup Borax
1/2 cup Kosher Salt
1/2 cup Citric Acid

Just mix everything together in and airtight container.  Use about 1 Tbsp per load, a little more for heavily soiled or extra large loads. 

If you've tried my laundry detergent recipe, you have Washing Soda and Borax already.  Kosher salt is cheap and easy to find at the grocery store.  Citric Acid may be harder to find, but my local grocery sells it in the same area as other supplies for canning fruits and vegetables.  The site where I found this recipe noted that you can use Fruit Fresh instead, but that did not work as well for me and it isn't pure citric acid.  Others have said that unsweetened lemonade powder works as a substitute (no sugar or artificial sweetner), but I have not tried that.

I came across a couple other tips to improve the effectiveness of this or other phosphate-free detergents.  First, put white vinegar in the rinse agent dispenser to help the soap rinse cleaner.  This works if you stick with the bad stuff, too, and is cheaper and greener than other rinse agents.  Also, make sure your hot water is really hot.  I have mixed feelings about suggesting that you turn up your water heater because of the energy consumption, but it will help make sure your dishes are clean.  I am hoping that any energy impact is more than offset by the eliminated chemicals.

Now, I have to admit that I still have a box of the bad stuff and use it occasionally - maybe once or twice a month.  I'm working on giving it up completely, but I'm still afraid that at some point I'll start seeing the cloudy buildup or mold/mildew again.  Some sites I've read suggest that mixing 1/2 cup or so of the bad stuff into a batch of homemade detergent will give you a bit of both worlds - a greener way to clean with that extra sparkle.  That's my next plan if this one starts to go bad.

So how does this balance for me?
Heart/Body/Mind:  I definitely feel better in my heart about having fewer chemicals on my dishes, and I would not be surprised to learn that the chemicals in most detergents are bad for your body.
Time:  It takes a few minutes to make, but I can skip the detergent aisle when I'm shopping.
My Wallet: The homemade detergent is much cheaper than the bad stuff and white vinegar is cheaper than rinse aid as well.  Even using a little of the bad stuff from time to time, I'll be saving money.
The Earth:  Fewer chemicals and less packaging is a good thing!

Friday, January 21, 2011

A Post-Holiday Challenge for the New Year

I'm back!  Things got a little hectic there with the holidays and then a few bumps in the road at work.  I think things are settled and I should be able to blog again. 

During these past few weeks, as many, many gifts were exchanged, I was really mortified by the piles and piles of trash generated just in my house from all of the gift wrap and packaging.  I really LOVE the act of opening presents - not just because I'm getting something new, but the actual tearing the paper to find out what's inside is one my favorite parts of receiving gifts.  The way a pile of wrapped gifts looks under the tree makes me smile and I'm always a little sad when they've all been opened and the tree is empty again.  However, the scales in my mind have tipped and I just can't convince myself that it's OK to keep creating so much waste.  This year I used up most of what I had stocked on holiday wrapping paper and I've made a promise to myself that I will really try not to buy more.  I've challenged myself to try some reusable or recycled alternatives I've seen or read about with the smaller holidays this year - birthdays, Valentine's Day, anniversary, etc. - so I will be ready to go at least mostly paper-free for the next winter gift-giving season.

So here's my list of 10 things to consider or try:

1.  I already reuse standard gift bags and boxes, and will use more of these rather than paper.

2.  I have occasionally given gifts in reuseable shopping bags rather than the standard gift bag.  I really love this idea and promise myself that I will find more cute ones to use this year.  The bag then becomes part of the gift and will hopefully encourage the recipient to take it with them when they shop.

3.  Other uncommon reuseable bags would make great gift bags as well, and may be something that others don't already have by the dozens - produce bags, snack bags, sandwich bags and stuff sacks would all work well and be multi-purpose.

4.  There are several pre-made fabric reusable gift bag options on the market as well.  Wrapsacks are cute and colorful and may even make the tree look just as pretty as paper.  Rewrap Gift Bags have multiple To: and From: labels on the front so as it gets reused you follow the bag's travels.  Looks like a fun way to reuse!

5.  I am "this close" to buying another sewing machine.  My last one was a victim of Katrina and a was never replaced.  It would be a very simple thing to make my own fabric bags from scraps and remnants.  I could use old clothes that are too damaged / worn to donate to charities and raid bargain bins at fabric stores.

6.  I will start looking at the packaging my other products come in throughout the year for reusability.  I could kick myself because I just threw out a fabric zippered bag a sheet set came in because I was in a cleaning fit and couldn't figure out where to keep it or what to use it for.  It would have been a great gift bag! 

7.  I will also learn to wrap with fabric.  There are reusable wrapping fabrics on the market like the Bobo scarf, Wrapagain or these fabric wraps.  If I invest in that sewing machine, though, I think I can make these quite easiliy as well.  With the right type of fabric, I wouldn't even need a sewing machine, just pinking shears to make nice edges and prevent fraying.

8.  Since I just may not be able to completely get off the paper, I will look for opportunities to recycle other papers into gift wrap.  My son's art, the comics or other pages from the newspaper, large maps or colorful brochures, takeout menus or paper placemats, old calendar pages, old posters, magazine pages and picture book pages are all possibilities.   Some of these things I have around the house, and some I could get super cheap on clearance or at thrift stores.

9.  If I absolutely MUST buy another roll of paper, I commit to choosing one made from recycled paper and I will use it sparingly!

10.  My husband tells me that in his family gifts often were not wrapped at all.  The unwrapped gifts were just put out under the tree after the kids went to bed to be found in the morning.  I'm skeptical about this as every gift I've exchanged with his family was wrapped in some way.  I think he just hates wrapping.  It is an option to consider, but I think I would really miss the suspense of opening the gifts one by one.  Maybe stocking gifts could skip the wrap this year.

Who's with me?  Anyone up to the challenge?

So, how does this balance for me?
Heart/Body/Mind: Not much impact here, except to make me feel better about my impact on the earth.
Time: I don't think there will be a significant change either way, unless I decide to make my own bags or wraps.  Since I'll only do it if I think I will enjoy it, I won't count it as a negative impact for me.
My Wallet: The fabric wraps or reusable bags will be more expensive initially though recycling some things would be really cheap or free.  We'll see how it works out.
The Earth:  Love saving the trees and landfill space!