Happy BABY, Happy Earth

I'm going to admit a horrible source of waste that I didn't stop until baby #2... DISPOSABLE DIAPERS!  It is estimated that 1,375 Million diapers are used EVERY day, GROSS!  With baby #2, I turned to Fuzzibunz cloth diapers.  WHY not earlier?  I'm still kicking myself, and it's one reason I'm trying so hard to be environmentally conscious now.  I'll be honest, when I thought of cloth diapers, I thought of the old fashioned kind my mother used with fold-up cloth and pins.  I didn't want to think about washing a mess in that?  What changed my mind, (besides the disgusting thought of ALL those disposables going in our garbage bin) was the cost of disposables, and the sight of Fuzzibunz!  I noticed that they were machine washable, they didn't have pins or any folding to do, and they were actually CUTE for babies to wear without having to cover!  They're like the reusable swim diapers that I used with my son, but more absorbant!  AND, my baby

Target Swim Diapers

LOVED them!  They're softer than disposables!  And of course, we saved hundreds of dollars plus kept thousands of diapers from ending up in landfills.

Now, I don't want anyone to read this and rule out all the other types of reusable diapers.  There's hundreds of brands now and so many styles.  There's so many reviews out on the "best" brands, but honestly, there's no best brand for every baby.  Moms know that babies aren't all shaped with the same proportions, they don't all "go" the same quantity every time, and some messes are just so much messier than others.  So, before I chose Fuzzibunz, I actually tried Thursties and a few other brands as well.  I picked what worked best for my child and what was most tolerable for me.  Had I tried on a different child, I may have chosen something completely different.  Here are some other benefits of using cloth diapers:
-Less toxins against babies' skin
-May reduce diaper rashes
-Faster potty-training for some kids as they tend to feel wet easier and want dry
-Cloth feel makes easier transition to underwear

The most important thing to keep in mind, what we choose to diaper our baby with DOES have an environmental impact.  Lets remind others of the economical savings and benefits for our children in addition to the environmental impact to help reduce waste on this planet.

Fuzzibunz Saving Our Planet!

Save $$ While Saving the Planet

"Think Green" truly has a double meaning.  Look at all the ways you can save money while reducing waste, or getting more fit!  This estimate is for a family of 4 for 1 yr, but easily adjustable to any size family or individual.  Note: most reusable items last many years, increasing the savings.  There's also many brands at different prices for most items.  Many of these were from the Dollar Tree, Walmart, or Target.  Also many people have a good start by reusing grocery store bags as garbage can liners so they don't have to buy any, but when the bag bans hit, better get reusables...

Reusable napkins- (4 for $4) vs 3 meals/day or 4380 regular/yr = about $70
Cleaning cloths ($4 for 16 at Walmart) vs. paper towels 8/day: 2920/yr = $70
Reusable ziplock bags (4 for $20) vs 4 regular/day = 1460/yr = $146
Reusable kitchen bags ($13) vs. 3 regular/week or 156/yr = $30
Reusable water bottles for 4 ($32) vs. 2-8/person/day =  $3,650-$14,600
Cloth diapers 1 baby (12 for $100) vs 6 regular/day = 2190 = $592
Reusable party plates 20/party ($5) vs 20 regular x 6 parties = 120 = $23
Reusable party cups  20/party ($5) vs 20 regular x 6 parties = 120 = $23
Reusable silverware 20 sets ($20) vs 6 parties:120 sets = $30
Reusable gloves for family ($8) vs 1 box regular medical gloves = $12
Reusable feminine products (DivaCup $30) vs $10/12 months = $120
Good mop ($20) vs disposable mop w/replacements = $100

Other ways to save money, energy, and resources:

-Walk or ride a bike instead of driving
-Turn of lights when exiting a room and turn off TV/appliances
-Plant plants that require little water (save water plus $ on your water bill)
-Growing food at home    
-Avoid using oven when hot inside
-Open windows when its hot instead of turning on AC
-Using fire in fireplace instead of turning on heat
-Fishing/hunting- these can reduce an incredible amount of packaging and feed a lot with very little cost.  (Those who know me know I've NEVER been a fan of killing animals, particularly mammals, which is why I hover somewhere between different forms of vegetarianism and vegan.  Though I do admit can be cheaper to catch your own meat!)

Keep posted as I'll also write a post on ways to save $$ and reduce waste for cooking!