Browngirl Speaks

We finished our Earth Day lapbook. Also, we planted peppers and basil in organic soil and reused food and beverage containers. Cross your fingers for those because I have never tried to grow anything.

Here are Zion’s simple tips(in his own words)for saving the earth:
*3Rs- reduce, reuse, recycle (mom’s note - the milk and juice cartons exemplify all 3)
*take short showers
*plant tress and flowers for growing
*turn off the lights

I’m slowly getting us “off the grid”. So, my next foray is into homemade laundry detergent. I’ve been eyeballin’ some recipes for about six months now and finally took the plunge today. Honestly, most of the recipes are the same. The only major differences I noticed were either for making a powder instead of liquid or for larger quantities. Now, I used the recipe found over here which seems to be for a standard quantity and you wouldn’t be.lieve how much detergent it made and with how little of the three ingredients necessary.

*Note: I used Ivory soap instead of Fels-Naptha. I also added an essential oil–grapefruit. For some reason I had two bottles and used up the one that was open. It probably came to 40-50 drops.

And now for the numbers…

Ivory soap $1.19/ 3 bars/ 9.5 oz.
Borax $3.99/76 oz
Washing soda $2.99/ 55 oz.

1/3 bar of soap=$0.13
1/2 cup borax=$0.18
1/2 cup washing soda=$0.23
grand total for 1 batch= $0.54

Using 1/2 cup per load gives me about 64 loads @ less than a penny each. Not bad for about 30 minutes of work and just under $9.00 at the grocery store. peace.

So, I was reading about some money saving tips for homeschoolers online that prompted me to look up cloth diaper patterns. I thought about making them for organizations who provide them to new moms with limited means. I’m talking the fitted cloth diapers–very cute. Well, I came across a pattern for a reusable cloth pad. I’ve seen these before; several sellers on Etsy make them. Now, this was something that would definitely save me a few bucks as I don’t have an infant in diapers anymore but I still get my moon every month.

I’m always in search of some service work I can do and, preferably, from home because my current situation doesn’t allow me to get out much. So, I’m all excited that I’m finally going to open the box my brand new sewing machine has been in for um….well, a really long time and make myself a stash of these and a cute bag for clean and soiled pads. I could even make some for friends and family to encourage less waste and save them money as well. Then, I thought about Always’ project to supply girls in Africa with pads so that they can go to school when they have their period. I figured there might be something similar but for cloth pads. I was right. Goods4Girls donates reusable cloth pads to girls in Africa as it’s more environmentally friendly for those in areas that don’t have adequate solid waste management and it cuts the need for continuous aid for this particular need.

Now, I’m not a great sewer. This is actually my first machine and I sewed my first moon pad last night. The one I made last night will probably be used as a pantiliner as it doesn’t have wings. I’ll make several for myself first, mainly for the practice. I want the ones I send those girls to be near perfect. I’m so excited about this opportunity to save myself some money, cut my eco footprint and help some girls and women simply live their lives uninterrupted by their menses.

Here are few sites to get patterns and info on making your own moon pads:

Adahy’s Cloth Pad Patterns
Jan Andrea at home on the web
Sew Green

of course there are dozens more, just Google “cloth pads”.

that’s the title of a recently released documentary that i implore anyone-man or woman-having a baby, or thinking of having children, to see.  after i had my own unpleasant birth experience, i couldn’t seem to let it go.  apparently, i wasn’t the only person with a similar story.  i was watching rachael ray a few months ago and ricki lake was on promoting this documentary she produced and was featured in– the business of being born.  i knew i had to see this.  well, i finally saw it today and felt like someone had taken a chapter from my life. 

what this documentary is about is educating women on their choice to take control of their births and not let hospitals and doctors dictate this natural process that’s now so diluted with "designer deliveries" (scheduled c-sections) and unnecessary interventions.    it does advocate the use of midwives and doulas–definitely an option i planned to choose before i saw the film, if i have another baby.  however, i took more than that away from it.  women should not be afraid to question things, especially when dealing with a doctor, concerning childbirth.  this is what led to my unpleasant experience–not having the courage to question or say no when i trusted my body, God and nature.  so, watch the documentary, get educated and know you have choices…

i love smoothies! well, who doesn’t?  but i actually make them and i’m always trying different things for my creations.  check out my green tea smoothie from last year. well, the post has disappeared for that, so look for it in the near future. anyway, just in time for the warm weather approaching, here’s my newest cool treat:

vanilla yogurt

banana

apple juice

strawberry fruit bar

i use about 4 tbs. of the yogurt, 1 banana, 2 splashes of apple juice and one whole fruit bar

first, i crush the ice in the blender.  the amount of ice determines the consistency.  so more ice, less runny and vice versa.  then, add the ingredients.  i usually get about 3 6oz. glasses.

now, mind you these were things i happened to already have in my fridge/freezer.  we usually always have those items.  usually i would have used orange juice but was out and apple was there, so i used what i had.  it surprised me that apple worked.  i mostly make them for my son since he’s such a natural born health nut.  but if you do have to buy every ingredient and you absolutely hate the smoothie (which i highly doubt ), then you still have some awesome, healthy treats to indulge in separately.

enjoy!

i have become semi-obsessed with being green.  it’s just something to me that makes so much sense.  it’s possible to do one’s part even without the means to convert to low flow toilets, programmable thermostats and such.  i’ve started recycling as well as freecycling.  i’m constantly looking for ways for my family to its part to preserve the environment and not be so wasteful.  i’ve discovered the newly revamped Discovery Home channel and there’s this awesome show called "Wasted" that finds people who are guilty of some environmental crime like excessive water usage.  I know it seems we’ve been bombarded and brow-beaten over the last few years with being eco-friendly, but it really is possible to make an impact if everyone picked a few things to be more conscious of (yes, this a bad grammar kids).  so here’s some things i’ve begun or plan to implement that cost me nothing (except the last one):

*freecycle:  join your local freecycle and get rid of things you can’t necessarily sell but don’t want to end up in a landfill.  it’s most likely a yahoo group that you can post offers and requests for ANYTHING from bottle caps to furniture to junk cars.

*recycle:  in my hometown, if you live within city limits and receive their trash pick up, you also get free curbside recycling pick up and free bins.  there are also recycling centers around the city.  it costs nothing to recycle and it really does become habit in a short amount of time.

*take shorter showers:  10 minutes tops!  and not in scalding hot water.  warm or tepid is better for the skin anyway. 

*wash laundry in cold water: i know this one requires a small gulp b/c many of us don’t think clothes will get clean if the water’s not near boiling.  i do make a personal concession to wash towels and sheets in warm or hot.  even those can be washed on cold and be clean.  add a few drops of tea tree oil to the wash if fearing microbes and bacteria.

*air dry laundry: this is a no brainer.  it saves you money on energy expenses and wearing out your clothes.

*stop drinking bottled water:  again, my hometown has some of the cleanest water in the country but i still see folks here buying cases of bottled water AND not recycling the bottles.  brita pitchers and filtration systems that are easily installed on the tap are so inexpensive now that there’s no need for all the bottled water consumption. i just checked ebay and saw a brand new faucet filtration by brita for $14.99. or to really be cost effective–boil it and voila!– distilled water.

*turn off that damn computer!:  unplug the cell phone chargers and anything else you only use a few times a week.  we leave so many things plugged in and many folks don’t realize that energy is still being used.  the mr. is gravely offensive of this crime.  and stop leaving the computer on day after day after day.  my parents do this and just turn the monitor off when they aren’t using the computer.  i mean, really?  use a power strip and this will make it simple to remember to just turn it off and all your peripherals will be shut down as well.  a lot of us should see a drastic reduction in our utility bills with this change.

*rain water barrels:  there are several sizes of these and they simply collect rain water that is reusable for gardening, car washing and even can be filtered to toilets and washing machines.  the water is not suitable for drinking or bathing, but i plan to get one for car washing.  they have a spout so that water hoses can be attached. now these can cost around $100 to $150 on the low end but with some patience and about $50 it can be made.  i think the price tag either way is worth it in the long run.

i was checking to see what the big "O" would be discussing today on her show and it’s about "freegans".  what the heck is a freegan you ask?  of course, i had to investigate before the show starts for myself.  the term is the marriage of free and vegan.  their most notable charactersitc–urban foraging or waste reclamation…ummm, dumpster diving.  now, their principles, i can get down with but their means to an end…not all for me.  mainly the waste reclamation, i mean, can y’all see me hoist over in a dumspter looking for edible food or a half-FULL bottle of shampoo some wasteful consumer tossed to try the latest and greatest in unnatural hair products? 

However, i appreciate the intentions.  it’s just like those who join the armed services.  i disagree with purposely enlisting to fight these often pointless wars but someone has to do it.  not that the "war" on consumerism and capitalism is ever pointless, but it’s not meant for everyone to fight in the same capacity.  the freegan capacity being one.  i am definitely looking into supporting their efforts though.  the sight i visited– freegan.info gave a few good tips on how to live and contribute to this lifestyle.  i’m sure there are other more voluminous sites than this one but it was the first i checked and was pretty abbreviated and to the point.

i rarely toss something i haven’t squeezed every drop of substance from, but if i do, i’ll definitely think twice or donate to one of their "free markets".

the reason i was at wild oats market yesterday was a new one.  i always go to this store for a little something here and there, but never in this magnitude.  i’m going organic.  seriously.  it’s expensive, so i have to phase into it.  and then i have some foods already in the fridge that only i eat that i have to consume first, like eggs.  yeah, i know, crazy!  neither my son nor the mr. will touch them.  i think their pod people or something.  an-t-way!  a friend’s mom inspired me to do this.  she was having some health problems that improved dramatically once a doctor suggested she go totally organic.  and that, she did.  from meats and eggs to sour cream and mustard, she switched everything in her fridge and pantry to organic.  my friend even lost 13 lbs., inadvertently, in a month from this change in diet and said that her hormones became more regulated because of it.  a few things i got were some organic chicken thighs and turkey cutlets, organic chicken broth, natural cane sugar, and my new fave– Steaz green tea soda.  i’ll eventually have the whole gang consuming only all natural, hormone free foods.  the mr. seems down with it and z will eat whatever as long as it isn’t meat.  of course, for me, this is in effort to lose weight and to embrace a healthier eating lifestyle.  i felt so good this morning eating my yogurt with organic walnuts and granola.  i can’t wait until everything is converted and to see the other health benefits reaped aside from weight loss. 

that little widget off to the right about InScents is not just some annoying advertisment on my bloggage.  it’s real and it’s mine.  so head on over to my etsy.  now, don’t be turned off by the need to register to make purchases.  it’s a one time thing and maybe one day it won’t be necessary. and if you don’t see anything listed that suits your fancy, email me and let’s rap about it. 

InScents.etsy.com

inscents@gmail.com

while searching for an article to review for my next assignment, i came across this cute little site geared towards my fellow brownie mommies and mommies-to-be.  all of my sister-friends know that i am a HUGE advocate of breastfeeding.  i truly believe in its preventative and possible healing powers. it doesn’t hurt in shrinking that uterus back to normal, and fast, either.  i nursed my little brown boy for six months and pumped for about four more.  this site seems to be a great resource in simply educating browngirls on breastfeeding and from a historical stance.  i was so impressed that i’ve added it to my blogroll.  go on, i know you’re curious…