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Another conversation between Mike and I using our blackberry messenger.
Cathy: My dad got us a water barrel.
Cathy: I want to order a compost bin and maybe a clothes line today.
Cathy: Our neighbors are gonna think we're crazy green liberals.
Cathy: Cuz only liberals compost and save water.
Cathy: Not to mention your lawn mower.
Mike: You're funny. Do you think you could ask your dad if he could get another one?
Mike: I want to build solar panels too.
Showing posts with label green. Show all posts
Showing posts with label green. Show all posts
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Friday, March 07, 2008
G-Haiku
Trying this again
G-diapers better for earth
More expensive too!
Four days in a row
With only one little leak
Just pee, not the poop
I like this new change
Now I have to convince Mike
Who doesn't like change
*****
For more haiku fun
Visit Jennifer right here
Five, seven, and five
G-diapers better for earth
More expensive too!
Four days in a row
With only one little leak
Just pee, not the poop
I like this new change
Now I have to convince Mike
Who doesn't like change
*****
For more haiku fun
Visit Jennifer right here
Five, seven, and five
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Tips and Tricks: Going Green
Age: 18 months - 5 years
Area of Development: self expression/fine motor skills
This trick of the trade is coming from the art teacher at my work. After you have your child paint (either finger paint or with brushes) save the paper that they painted on. Later, once it has dried the child can use that same paper to draw scribbles or shapes on top of the colors. Save that paper. Later the child can cut out the shapes or just cut apart the paper. Three uses for one piece of paper: paint, draw, cut. (An occupational therapist might also suggest that you have your child crumble the cut paper to help throw it away.)
Most kids paint for the enjoyment of painting and what they create is just a big piece of paper covered with paint. They enjoyed the process of it all much more than the product that they created. Once your child actually starts painting pictures I do not suggest that you have them draw on top of them (unless they want to use a different media to add to the picture) and I do not suggest that you tell them to cut up their pictures or crumble them up and throw them away. This tip is for those people who have kids that will paint and paint and paint until the entire paper is covered and then ask for more paper to paint some more.
Did you find this tip helpful? Do you have a tip you'd like to share? Leave it in the comments or email me at mccathy at comcast dot net.
Area of Development: self expression/fine motor skills
This trick of the trade is coming from the art teacher at my work. After you have your child paint (either finger paint or with brushes) save the paper that they painted on. Later, once it has dried the child can use that same paper to draw scribbles or shapes on top of the colors. Save that paper. Later the child can cut out the shapes or just cut apart the paper. Three uses for one piece of paper: paint, draw, cut. (An occupational therapist might also suggest that you have your child crumble the cut paper to help throw it away.)
Most kids paint for the enjoyment of painting and what they create is just a big piece of paper covered with paint. They enjoyed the process of it all much more than the product that they created. Once your child actually starts painting pictures I do not suggest that you have them draw on top of them (unless they want to use a different media to add to the picture) and I do not suggest that you tell them to cut up their pictures or crumble them up and throw them away. This tip is for those people who have kids that will paint and paint and paint until the entire paper is covered and then ask for more paper to paint some more.
Did you find this tip helpful? Do you have a tip you'd like to share? Leave it in the comments or email me at mccathy at comcast dot net.
Monday, November 19, 2007
Liam and the gdiapers
After putting them away for awhile because they did not work the first try I pulled out what was left of our starter set of gdiapers. The verdict this time - they leaked twice and worked great twice. Not sure what I was doing wrong. We're all out of inserts, but I'm tempted to order a few more to give them another try. Liam hasn't yet pooped in a gdiaper, but his poops are so well put together now they wouldn't leak out the sides (I know you needed to know that). I'm not sure I'd ever go 100% to gdiapers, but it wouldn't hurt to use them when I'm at home with the little guy. Christie has been trying these out also on lil' Henry.
Either way - doesn't he look adorable in it?
Thursday, September 27, 2007
Green Bags
So awhile ago I asked for advice on ways for Mike and I to "go green". And thanks to Dan and Leah for their many suggestions. My favorite being, "Go green, move to Portland." Mike and I have been talking about moving. Well, Mike's been talking about moving - either to Wisconsin or Indiana. I keep telling him we have to wait until the kids are older. And Portland. I would love to visit some time, but that is way too far away from my mom for me. Way. to. far. I think Indiana and Wisconsin are way. to. far.
So what changes have been made in our house? Well, we got ourselves some bags for the store. Guess what. After I had been looking online for some reusable bags, I went to the Jewel, and they were selling their own. So I got some. We've been using them and have cut the number of plastic bags consumed in a week from over 15 to 2 or so. I also started telling people "I don't need a bag." Like when I pick up a prescription, or pictures, or some other object that I really don't need a bag for. Or when I'm shopping at the mall - I just put my purchases together in whatever bag I get first. So that's a good start.
We haven't started composting yet. The compost bin that I want is expensive and Mike's not convinced yet.
Thanks to Christie's research, I've also tried gdiapers. Six times. And they leaked. Six times. And not because I let them get too full. They'd leak the first time Liam would pee. I'm going to try again in a few weeks. The size I got was for 15-25 pounds and Liam is just over 15 now, so maybe when he's a bit bigger. They do encourage you to call if you're having problems - so if they still leak in a few weeks I might give them a call.
And we're switching from having Quinn wear Pull-Ups at night/naptime and just putting on the plastic training pants we got for potty-training. He's been dry more times than I can remember, so it shouldn't be that big of a deal.
Oh - and my favorite "go green" action we've taken. We've stopped rinsing off our dishes before we put them in the dishwasher. Why bother? We've got a new HE dishwasher, I buy the expensive scrubbing soap, so why were we washing them before putting them in? Habit I guess, but our dishes have been clean. Though I did learn - You Need To Rinse Off Tomato Sauce - otherwise everything that's plastic in there turns a shade of red.
So what changes have been made in our house? Well, we got ourselves some bags for the store. Guess what. After I had been looking online for some reusable bags, I went to the Jewel, and they were selling their own. So I got some. We've been using them and have cut the number of plastic bags consumed in a week from over 15 to 2 or so. I also started telling people "I don't need a bag." Like when I pick up a prescription, or pictures, or some other object that I really don't need a bag for. Or when I'm shopping at the mall - I just put my purchases together in whatever bag I get first. So that's a good start.
We haven't started composting yet. The compost bin that I want is expensive and Mike's not convinced yet.
Thanks to Christie's research, I've also tried gdiapers. Six times. And they leaked. Six times. And not because I let them get too full. They'd leak the first time Liam would pee. I'm going to try again in a few weeks. The size I got was for 15-25 pounds and Liam is just over 15 now, so maybe when he's a bit bigger. They do encourage you to call if you're having problems - so if they still leak in a few weeks I might give them a call.
And we're switching from having Quinn wear Pull-Ups at night/naptime and just putting on the plastic training pants we got for potty-training. He's been dry more times than I can remember, so it shouldn't be that big of a deal.
Oh - and my favorite "go green" action we've taken. We've stopped rinsing off our dishes before we put them in the dishwasher. Why bother? We've got a new HE dishwasher, I buy the expensive scrubbing soap, so why were we washing them before putting them in? Habit I guess, but our dishes have been clean. Though I did learn - You Need To Rinse Off Tomato Sauce - otherwise everything that's plastic in there turns a shade of red.
Saturday, July 21, 2007
Going Green?
It's all over the TV. Ways to "go green." And Mike and I, being the selfish people we are, have talked about ways we might be able to change. But we have some requirements. First, for Mike, it must make sense. For me, it must not be too inconvenient. And for both of us, it shouldn't cost too much. So what have we decided to change?
We'll be buying some reusable bags from Whole Foods. I saw some here that I like, but they're so expensive. I can't imagine that the ones at Whole Foods would cost so much, since they will have the Whole Foods name on the side. This will help our selfish sides because we're being over run with plastic bags, even though we do use them to pick up Maggie's poop on walks, but the dog doesn't poop THAT much.
Second, we thought we'd like to try our hands at composting. But man, oh man, the expense and the choices! What in the world! My dad and brother both compost, each using just a bucket in the kitchen and then they each have their own compost bins that they made themselves. (And they started composting long before it was popular.) Now here's the thing, building such an area and then going out and stirring the junk just doesn't seem like something we would do. So there are tumblers which seem way more up our alley. We like the idea of composting because we do throw away a lot of kitchen scraps and Mike would like some good compost for his garden. But then we have so many questions??? Do you put dog poop in there?? Leaves? How long does it take? When do you know it's ready? And then there's bins that use worms, but I cannot handle knowing there are 10,000 - 20,000 worms in my kitchen!
And at some point in the future I'd like to get a water filter and stop buying bottled water. We currently switched from individual bottles to gallons and we refill the gallons at the store.
Feel free to share any ideas of going green that might fit our requirements...or to offer any expertise on any of the above topics.
We'll be buying some reusable bags from Whole Foods. I saw some here that I like, but they're so expensive. I can't imagine that the ones at Whole Foods would cost so much, since they will have the Whole Foods name on the side. This will help our selfish sides because we're being over run with plastic bags, even though we do use them to pick up Maggie's poop on walks, but the dog doesn't poop THAT much.
Second, we thought we'd like to try our hands at composting. But man, oh man, the expense and the choices! What in the world! My dad and brother both compost, each using just a bucket in the kitchen and then they each have their own compost bins that they made themselves. (And they started composting long before it was popular.) Now here's the thing, building such an area and then going out and stirring the junk just doesn't seem like something we would do. So there are tumblers which seem way more up our alley. We like the idea of composting because we do throw away a lot of kitchen scraps and Mike would like some good compost for his garden. But then we have so many questions??? Do you put dog poop in there?? Leaves? How long does it take? When do you know it's ready? And then there's bins that use worms, but I cannot handle knowing there are 10,000 - 20,000 worms in my kitchen!
And at some point in the future I'd like to get a water filter and stop buying bottled water. We currently switched from individual bottles to gallons and we refill the gallons at the store.
Feel free to share any ideas of going green that might fit our requirements...or to offer any expertise on any of the above topics.
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