As the birth of our next baby is becoming an impending reality, I’m starting to spend more and more time thinking of the actual birth. This might sound strange, but I really looked forward to giving birth to my daughter drug-free. I was present when my mother gave birth to one of my sisters when I was a child, and that experience has led to me think of birth as one of the wonders of life that is a privilege to experience. Don’t get me wrong, I have no illusions about how much it hurts, or what hard work it is. However, the sound and look of bliss that emanated from my mom at the end was something that I will never forget. It’s seared on my brain.

When it came time for my daughter to be born however, we ended up with a C-section. I remember lying on the operating table and being more terrified than I had ever been in my life. I hadn’t prepared myself for the possibility that this would be the outcome. I had been waiting for the big finish, and the feeling of accomplishment. I never expected to meet my daughter while lying flat on my back with my intestines still sitting on my abdomen. In all honesty, it’s taken me a while to get over that.
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Okay, so it’s Tuesday, and I want to talk about the environment again. Sure there are lots of ways that life needs to be sustainable, but making sure that our planet remains inhabitable is number one on the list for me. I don’t know about anyone else (but I assume others feel this way too) if I think about the environment long enough I get kind of depressed. Sure I’m enthusiastic when I get out and use my clothesline, but when I read about how horribly dirty coal is and that 50% of the electricity generated in the United States comes from coal, and that coal is the biggest air polluter in the U.S, it seems like I’m quite the insignificant little speck.

So, if you haven’t noticed, I’ve been thinking about coal lately. I often muse to my husband that my 5-10 year goal is to have our house off the grid. I don’t really know which route we’ll go for that, possibly it will be a combination system of solar panels and energy efficient appliances. Or maybe it will be something new and innovative that I don’t even know about yet. However, it sometimes feels like there’s nothing much that I can do at the moment to reduce our country’s coal consumption. So to combat the feeling of ineptitude, I’m writing (in hopes of getting others going on this, too).
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Quite a while ago now, I wrote a blog post where I ruthlessly made fun of my husband for his “idiosyncrasies” when it came to how he organizes his stuff. You see, among other things, he used to keep his CD’s in alphabetical order by category, and listen to them in that order. He also used to be a total freak about scheduling out our day. A lazy Saturday might have an itinerary like this “Well honey, from 8:15 to 9:45 we’ll be at the farmer’s market, and then go to the coffee shop until 11:30. I would like to walk the dog promptly at noon, and grab lunch at say 1:06…so that I have time to walk my normal route, and get a 12 minute shower in.”

Okay, maybe it wasn’t that bad, but I do remember a time when we were dating where he told me that we were going to hang out with friends and that there was no time table involved, but had a near brain hemorrhage when I took 20 minutes to get ready.
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For our family, I happen to be the stay-at-home parent. Sure, I work from home. But, I’ve noticed that when you are mainly home all day, people expect you to be able to drop pretty much everything at a moments notice.  There are of course some wonderful exceptions including: fellow moms, my own parents, and my husband, but most everyone else doesn’t get it.

Being that I pretty much have unlimited access to the phone and a car during the day (unlike my husband), I have pretty much taken over the responsibility of anything that needs to be taken care of during business hours. That includes but is definitely not limited to: dentist appointments (making the appointment and keeping it), anything having to do with the city offices (i.e. property taxes, and car registration), repairs to the car (taking it to the shop…not fixing it), talking to insurance companies, etc. etc. etc… Seriously, the list goes on and on.
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I am a little anal retentive when it comes to getting a good deal. I hate throwing away our hard earned cash, and sometimes it feels like finding ways to save money, cut costs, etc. is my third job. I will spend hours on the phone/computer researching the best cell phone plan for our family, or the best rate on car insurance. And sometimes it pays off.

A little over a year ago, we were in dire financial straights and I had started listening to Dave Ramsey. Two of the things that he suggested to the women who took care of their children full time were to take in work at home projects (check, I was already doing that), and to become an expert home economist.

Somehow hearing him say that to other women lit a fire under me. I started thinking up tons of ways for us to save money.  I thought up a bunch that didn’t work, but here are a couple that did.
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I recently got a comment from a reader that implied that I’m a pretty hardcore greenie…Well, I have a confession to make. I’m hardcore sometimes, and about some things, but I am definitely not Mother Earth incarnate.

I wrote a post a while back that was a bit of a rant, and while I still stand by it, I don’t think I expressed myself to the best of my abilities. I’m a little disillusioned by the whole “green movement”, because I think that some manufacturers are tweaking their products a little in order to be able to sell “green products” and get a spike in sales. As people who buy those products, I think we all have a responsibility to weigh our options and make the best decision for ourselves, our families, and our planet.  I wasn’t trying to bash people for buying green products, but just to raise awareness, that buying something new isn’t necessarily the best option for the planet…And hopefully that can help us all think outside the box.

I think I came off a little preachy and had you all thinking that I fashion my own shoes out of rubber from our tires after they wear out.
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Although I’ve talked about the huge differences that there are between my husband and I, something that we do actually agree upon is buying toys that are made from sustainable products for our daughter. I don’t think that I can decide which aspect I like better, finding things that I don’t care if our daughter sucks on all day long, or that don’t leave a mess behind on the planet. Either way, I guess I don’t have to choose, because for the most part, both qualifications go hand in hand.

I thought I would share a few things that I wouldn’t want to go without.

Safe Sippy

Likes: I love this thing. It’s a stainless steel sippy cup with a really good valve to keep it from leaking (a complete must for our gymnast/drummer tot). We bought this cup because it’s a BPA free product, and I also liked that it had limited plastic in it (my husband thinks I’m a fanatic because of my dislike of plastics). Another plus is that it has a nice sleeve around the outside which helps keep beverages cold.

Dislikes: We had to buy a scrub brush that was long enough to fit down inside the cup, because the cup mouth is too narrow for hand washing, but if you have a dishwasher this doesn’t apply, since it’s completely dishwasher safe (but it does mean that I’m totally jealous). And depending on your child, the weight of the cup could be a problem. When it’s full of liquid it seems like it’s heavy enough to put a major dent in something if chucked. We haven’t had any denting incidents, but have had a few loud bangs on the dining room floor.

For other BPA free products, check out this Work it, Mom! Slideshow.

I’ve mentioned before that we are cloth diaper users, and I’m really looking forward to doubling our savings by using our diapers again for the second kiddo. However, I don’t think I mentioned much about what we actually use. The answer is, a little bit of everything, but these are our favorites.

Thirsties All-in-One Pocket Diapers

Likes: Our tot has extraordinarily chunky legs (which my mother tells me she gets from my toddler days), and these diapers fit the best out of all of the diapering options that we’ve tried on her. These are actually a hybrid between an all in one diaper and a pocket diaper. They can be stuffed extra full for night time or have just a thin layer to go under her more snug clothing. Plus they are about the same price as all of the other pocket diapers, so cost really isn’t an issue.

Dislikes: Unless you stuff them with a little something extra, they will leak if the kiddo isn’t changed promptly after major wetting.

Plan Toys
Likes: This is our favorite green toy company. Pretty much all of the toys are made with sustainable rubber wood, and they are so darn cute.  We have tons of these around, and I have to say that I never get tired of hearing the wood clink together. Plus I love how every toy comes with an explanation of what skills it helps children acquire. I also think that they are a great price, especially when compared to some other green toys.

Dislikes: I honestly can’t think of one critique.

For more green toy options, check out this slideshow.

So there you have it, if you were wondering what some of my favorite eco-friendly baby/tot stuff was, wonder no more.

Do you have any picks of your own?