All the chemicals around us we really can't avoid made me think of what changes I could make to reduce my family's exposure to harsh substances. I discovered Method cleaning products a few weeks ago at Shoppers Drug Mart. LOVE THEM!!!! So far I have tried the laundry detergent, all purpose cleaner and the dishwasher detergent. I was surprised that the products seem to clean better than the leading brands I use to purchase AND they weren't that expensive.
The laundry detergent claims to be hypoallergenic. I'll believe it, I washed Bubba's clothes along with the rest of the dirty clothing and it seems fine on his sensitive skin. My white clothes actually look whiter than they did before. I could never bring myself to use bleach in my wash so my white clothing became dull very quickly but Method just brightened that up! My washing machine was screaming to be scrubbed with vinegar and baking soda since there was a musty smell in there; one wash with Method got that musty smell right out.
I've never been one to wash the dishes before I put them in the dishwasher... I find it defeats the purpose of a dishwasher. With national leading brands of dishwasher detergent, I had to put my dishwasher on super wash, add the hot start and the dishes still didn't come out that clean. Husband empties the dishwasher and throws all the rejects back in the sink, my sink was never empty. I've done three loads with Method dishwasher detergent on the econo cycle, no bells and whistles, and the dishes are coming out squeeky clean. Not only am I using a non-toxic, eco friendly product, but I am also saving water and energy as well. The package of Method dishwasher detergent was only like a dollar more than the brand I used to use. A buck well spent for sure.
The all-purpose cleaner comes in different scents. So far, we've tried the pink grapefruit and the cucumber scents. The cleaning power of these products is amazing, it's just as good, maybe even better than the chemical lemon stuff everyone keeps buying. The scent of the pink grapefruit is very pleasant but Husband didn't like the cucumber smell (even though I didn't mind it one bit). The smell isn't overpowering and it's safer to use than the average brand.
All you need to do is check out www.methodhome.com to see for yourself. The company is committed to offering more eco-friendly solutions to clean with; products that are safer for people, pets and the environment. Everything from what they put in the products to how they package them is better than your average brands. I still have a lot of their products to try out and I've never been this excited to clean my house!
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Thursday, January 20, 2011
a CUP-le here, a CUP-le there...
So this week, in an attempt to reduce the amount of garbage the family produces, I've decided to start keeping empty yogurt containers and other little cups. I wash them, stack them, and put them under the sink in hopes that I will remember they are there once we start our seeds indoors for our third attempt to plant a garden (more on our unfortunate gardening events in another post...).
In only a week, we've managed to gather quite a bit of containers. I bought some kids sized individual yogurt cups and those serving portions of preserved peaches last week. They were on sale and I had coupons for them... after all the savings I had gotten them for less than 10 cents a serving.
Everyone loves a bargain, but I am starting to realize that bargain hunting isn't always environmentally friendly. I'm the type of person that gets giddy at the thought of getting something half price, I'll go the extra mile just to save a buck or two. But where should the line be between frugality and becoming eco-conscious?
After rummaging through my kitchen garbage (Coco or Husband didn't get into the habit of saving the cups yet), I counted 23 empty individual cups. That's only 1 weeks worth! That means that at this rate my little family and daycare kids would consume over 1100 little individual yogurts and preserved peaches a year; this isn't even counting the ones that made it to school or to work!!!! I CAN'T save all these cups, if I did we would be buried in garbage in no time! If I don't save them that would be 1100 more little cups in the landfill. Of course, these won't decompose in a few months, not even in a few years.
Now that I realize the amount of waste these produce I REALLY can't buy these in good conscience. I just hope Coco doesn't go in withdrawal, he lives on this stuff. Well, he'll have to make due with eating yogurt in reusable containers and waiting until peaches are in season for me to make homemade preserves. Everyone needs to sacrifice something, that is part of making a difference.
In only a week, we've managed to gather quite a bit of containers. I bought some kids sized individual yogurt cups and those serving portions of preserved peaches last week. They were on sale and I had coupons for them... after all the savings I had gotten them for less than 10 cents a serving.
Everyone loves a bargain, but I am starting to realize that bargain hunting isn't always environmentally friendly. I'm the type of person that gets giddy at the thought of getting something half price, I'll go the extra mile just to save a buck or two. But where should the line be between frugality and becoming eco-conscious?
After rummaging through my kitchen garbage (Coco or Husband didn't get into the habit of saving the cups yet), I counted 23 empty individual cups. That's only 1 weeks worth! That means that at this rate my little family and daycare kids would consume over 1100 little individual yogurts and preserved peaches a year; this isn't even counting the ones that made it to school or to work!!!! I CAN'T save all these cups, if I did we would be buried in garbage in no time! If I don't save them that would be 1100 more little cups in the landfill. Of course, these won't decompose in a few months, not even in a few years.
Now that I realize the amount of waste these produce I REALLY can't buy these in good conscience. I just hope Coco doesn't go in withdrawal, he lives on this stuff. Well, he'll have to make due with eating yogurt in reusable containers and waiting until peaches are in season for me to make homemade preserves. Everyone needs to sacrifice something, that is part of making a difference.
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
GoGreenMonctonMommy: a beginning...
I got the idea to write this blog on an average weekday, while the radio news was bombarding my head with the notions of climate change, of gas rates going up and of limited resources. What kind of legacy are we leaving for our children? Something has to change and we all need to play our part.
As a mom of 2 young children, I want to make a difference so my kids can live on a healthier planet. My goal is not to go green overnight. I want to change my habits at my own pace to reduce my carbon footprint and do my part to preserve our resources.
I will take it one step at a time. Right now, I still drink imported coffee, I like to go for drives, I dry my clothing in a dryer and I buy prepackaged food, in other words: I am just an average person and I have LOTS of things to change.
Here are some my goals:
-buy local products when possible and reduce the amount of imports we buy
-reduce the amount of garbage my family generates
-make better choices when it comes to green products
-consume less electricity and gas
-lead a simpler life
-show my kids that you can make better choices and still have fun
These changes are going to affect my family and my job and I plan to write about both. I work as a childcare provider and I must go through like 1000 baby wipes a month. Just slashing that is going to be hard.
As for my family well luckily, Husband is on board 100%. Coco is a 5 year old little boy, he is easily influenced and hopefully he'll follow his parents. Bubba is only 3 months old, I don't think he'll really notice any changes we make.
As a mom of 2 young children, I want to make a difference so my kids can live on a healthier planet. My goal is not to go green overnight. I want to change my habits at my own pace to reduce my carbon footprint and do my part to preserve our resources.
I will take it one step at a time. Right now, I still drink imported coffee, I like to go for drives, I dry my clothing in a dryer and I buy prepackaged food, in other words: I am just an average person and I have LOTS of things to change.
Here are some my goals:
-buy local products when possible and reduce the amount of imports we buy
-reduce the amount of garbage my family generates
-make better choices when it comes to green products
-consume less electricity and gas
-lead a simpler life
-show my kids that you can make better choices and still have fun
These changes are going to affect my family and my job and I plan to write about both. I work as a childcare provider and I must go through like 1000 baby wipes a month. Just slashing that is going to be hard.
As for my family well luckily, Husband is on board 100%. Coco is a 5 year old little boy, he is easily influenced and hopefully he'll follow his parents. Bubba is only 3 months old, I don't think he'll really notice any changes we make.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)