Grocery Shopping

Recently my friends and I have been bemoaning the fact of how much we spend at the grocery store. It really IS amazing, that I can shop as frugally as I feel I can (with a few little luxuries) and I still spend more than I think that I should. A few months ago, my husband and I started using only cash for food. Whoever thought up the idea of the debit card is sitting back laughing in their piles of money cackling "Spend Silly Americans! SPEND!!! It is so easy just to debit, debit and debit some more... And have no idea how much is really going out every month. So the cash thing has really been an eye opener for us. Who remembered how easy it was to know how much you had left in your food budget when you had actual cold hard cash in your hands?

So we have been doing it for about 4 or 5 months now and I think that I am finally getting it right. I had spenders denial for several months and in the beginning I thought it was a mistake on my part that we spent WAY more than I thought we did.

If I had to do it all over again I would have added $50 or $100 to the first several months budget and bought my staples and proper containers for those staples (grains, flours, beans, rice, sugar/honey, etc.) so I could build upon that. That way, you are buying in bulk (big money savings), you will have the convenience of having what you need on hand and won't find yourself making impulse buys, it will make it easier to plan meals because you will already have the basics for meals (another great way to save money: plan dinners and lunches 1 week in advance- make the bulk of them in one day, like on a Sunday), and you will feel better because you are eating well and saving money. But, I didn't do it that way, so I am now doing it more slowly. Also, money IS very tight so I really don't have that extra to throw at it all at once, so I am going about it slowly. That is okay, I will get there.

The next thing that I would do, and am doing to try and cut down on costs is to join a CSA. CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture. What it means is that you are buying a share (or a half share) in a farm. The farms are generally local and organic and seasons run from May or June to October or November. The cost runs anywhere between $400-$650 a season and you get tons of fresh fruits and vegetables delivered to a drop area that you pick up from or it is dropped at your house. Each farm CSA has its various perks and extras. For example, the CSA I have joined this year has a time in August that we can come and pick 50lbs. of tomatoes and as much garlic and onions that we want for salsa. Another CSA that I belonged to in the past sent delicious recipes weekly with the boxes. It is important to me to buy local and organic so this is a great option and it turns out to be roughly $20-$25/week for a very large amount of fruits and vegetables. Here is a nationwide listing of CSA's so everyone can find one in their area. http://www.localharvest.org/csa/

Another thing to do, that I have just started for the first time this month, is to join a buyers club for buying your bulk food (Note, bulk food does not mean Costco sized. Bulk food means large amounts of good, whole food in one package like rice or beans, etc). This is a good idea whether you are buying organic or not. Buying in bulk will always save you money and it saves in packaging and waste so it is a win-win situation. If you can't find a buyers club, join a co-op or shop at Win-Co. Co-ops are nice because often you will get a return on the Co-0ps profit at the end of the year. Co-ops also generally have food that is more local so this is nice too because that means it is fresher as well as hasn't had to travel so far.

Make and plan your meals in advance. This has been a struggle for me but I am getting better and when I am successful, I DO notice that our money goes further. Or, I will make a meal and make extra to put in the fridge for later or the next month or when I can't think of anything to feed Maya. Also, making goodies (healthy cookies and stuff) also helps to first and formost eliminate any guilt about them because "I know what I put in them, so they aren't THAT bad for me" and it is way cheaper. Cookies and cakes are EXPENSIVE and can add up!

Soups and stews are great ways to empty the fridge of all your random extras as well as can feed you for one or two meals, depending on the size of your family. Also, making stock (chicken, beef, veggie, etc) and sticking it in the freezer is another great way to save money and get several meals out of one "spend".

These are just a few of the ways to save money on buying food. I am sure that there are tons more that I haven't even thought about (and I would love to hear about other people's tricks) and many holes for my monthly food money to fall through but it is a work in progress and I hope to get smarter and better at it as I go along!

I would love other people's ideas and tips. For those of you who grow your own food or belong to a community garden, how does that work for you and what has your journey been like?

Sustainable Living

Yay Portland! As much as with any city there are things that you love about it and things that you wish could be different, Portland has several things that make it really great.

I am always looking for cleaner sources of food and ways to get things locally. I love the idea of being able to take Maya to get groceries (or better yet grow our own!) and today I found out about a Chicken Co-op!

It works like a CSA except you pay a$5-$10 a month and work once a week or so. I am pretty excited about the concept and can't wait to show Maya where eggs come from!! (Not from the cold food section at the grocery store!)

While I was looking around online, I found a great website called www.treehugger.com that has tons of up-to-date information on sustainable living and new stuff out there. It is possible to live sustainably and not break the bank. You just have to get creative and get off your butt!

Our Family

This is my first girl. I remember bringing her home. She wimpered the whole way while I held her on my lap. I felt so bad that she was so sad and scared. She adjusted very quickly and soon ran the house. Then came her brother- Tank (see right). What a shock for her. He is the epitomy of the little punk brother. Tank is our "problem child" and has taught me more about patience than being married has. Then came Maya. Wow, another blow. Now she is learning that tolerating the newest member of our family gets her lots of praise and treats so she is slowly adjusting. She will now let Maya hug her face (more like lay on it!) and even tolerates Maya's "butt hugs". Maya comes up behind them and tries to give them a big hug, or lay on them. Tank wants nothing to do with it, Kala is tolerating.

The dogs are actually making out pretty good from the addition of the baby. We are much better at making sure that they get runs and lots of love. It took me a while, but I finally got the stroller, the dogs and me out for a run. I was so worried about them and the stroller, especially Tank because he is so skittish, but they do so great!! I think it was because we had run together so much before Maya, that they just fell into line.

My goal is to be able to feed them a raw food diet. Kala is headed towards arthritis and Tank is pretty skittish and hyper. I have read it can help for both things. Does anyone have any input?

One more way to reduce waste

I hate wasting things. I think that is why I hate to throw stuff away. Because it makes me feel wasteful (and you never know if you are going to need something some day!!). Both of my parents are big "use everything" people. When I was growing up and we would go out to a restaurant -a rare occasion- you would always eat everything, it was wasteful if you didn't. I still have a hard time not making sure that I eat everything, I always take the leftovers, even if I know I won't eat them. Don't worry, I am in therapy for it.

Even so, when we started with cloth diapers, I didn't plan on making my own wipes. But then we kept throwing them away, and having to buy more, and I couldn't take it. So I looked up a recipe for wipes and went for it. Wow, how great is that!! It is so easy, and all but one of the ingredients I had at home.

Here is the recipe that I use:
2 cups water
2 Tbsp olive oil, apricot oil, jojoba oil, almond oil or any oil of your choice for that matter
2 Tbsp white vinegar
6 drops tea tree oil
6 drops lavander oil
4 drops grapefruit seed extract (optional)

mix that all up, soak and squeeze wipes and you are ready to go!

A Little Bit of Politics....

I don't really consider myself a political person, but I can have strong opinions. One thing I try to do is really listen to people even if I don't agree with what they are saying, not because I want them to convince me but because I am really interested in people's thought processes. Just because someone who thinks differently than I do, doesn't necessarily mean that they are wrong.

That being said, I am not sure who I would vote for between Hilary and Obama but I do know this. I am very impressed with Obama and how he is handling all of Hilary's mudslinging and whining about him. And I find this speech very inspirational. So, hopefully this link works and those who didn't get to see/hear this speech will be able to.

http://pol.moveon.org/obamaspeech/index.html

Enjoy the sound of a politician talking about something real.

Wash diapers? Who, me?

I think that is what my husband first thought when we talked about using cloth diapers. But now he is a pro...and says he wouldn't do it any other way.

Actually washing the cloth diapers always seems to be the biggest mental hurdle for people to get over. What I found was that once we had everything in place, it just WORKED!

So, what do you need? First things first, you need soap. You can't use the regular detergent that is loaded with fabric softeners and all sorts of crazy stuff because it can build up on the diapers and the softeners will actually put a film on the diapers that will make them not absorb as well. The two different soaps that I see recommended most often Allen's All Natural and Charlie's Soap. We use Charlie's and have enough to last us years. We got the big 5 gallon bucket because it was cheaper, we plan on using cloth diapers with all of our kids, you use less..... if anyone needs laundry detergent, come on over!

Next, you need some sort of "soaking detergent". What this really means is that you need Bac-Out made by Bio-Kleen. It is great stuff, helps you to clean the poopy diapers and soak your inserts in before wash time. We actually only use the Bac-Out for the poopy diapers now and don't soak the inserts. We put them in a dry bucket to wait for wash day. We wash every 1 1/2 to 2 days now.

Now you need a bucket, what ever kind, probably 2 of them. Lids or not, it is your choice. One for upstairs or wherever you are changing diapers and another for the dirty ones downstairs or around the washer.

And that is it. Wash them in hot, rinse in cold, extra rinse in cold and every 6 weeks or so "strip" the diapers (that means get off any build up that may develop) with some vinegar in the rinse cycle. Line dry or low heat. Also, no fabric sheets allowed. It makes them not absorb as well, so you will get lots of leaks.

So for all of you naysayers out there, it really isn't that hard, and it is not that big of an inconvenience It is all about getting the system in place, preferably BEFORE the baby is born!

All-In-Whats? Shorties Who? Prefolds How?

When we first began with the idea of cloth diapers, I looked at some magazines, read a lot of stuff online and then took a deep breath and went to a store that specialized in cloth. I was so intimidated and when I walked in. There were (it seemed like) dozens of options to choose from and lots of different ways to put it all together. Really, the only true experience that I had with cloth diapers was when my little sister was born (I was 5 years old) and my parents told me that one of my "jobs" to help out with my new little sister was to be the one that folded the prefolds. Fun.

I knew that there were more options now, I just had no idea where to begin!! There was a very patient lady there who went through everything with me (half of the time I had no idea what she was talking about!) and repeated the majority of it probably 2 or 3 times. So, in rememberence of my confusion, here is a breakdown of what I have learned about the various systems for cloth diapers and the fibers that are available.

Fibers
Wool: Wool diaper covers are intended to absorb some moisture rather than simply providing a barrier to air/liquid like plastic diaper covers. Wool is similar to a clay layer beneath a sand layer, with the sand layer being the cotton diaper. The liquid easily goes into the diaper layer (cotton, hemp, or bamboo) and then when it reaches the wool layer the liquid spreads out into the diaper as it would into a sandy layer of soil above a clay layer of soil. The wool layer (like the clay) will still absorb some moisture and become slightly damp feeling, letting you know the diaper is wet and ready to be changed. Used as soakers, longies and shorties. I haven't used them as a liner but would like to and wool can be used as that.
Fleece/Microterry: Usually used for liners (in the all-in-ones or pocket diapers). It wicks the moisture away from the baby's body.
Hemp and Bamboo: Hemp is very absorbent and is used as liners, doublers or diaper layer. Bamboo is also very soft and absorbent and is used as the same.
Cotton/Terrycloth: Back to the basics, cotton can be used for liners, doublers or diaper layer.
PUL: The waterproof outer layer in the all-in-ones or pocket diapers.
The fleece, microterry, hemp, bamboo and cotton can all be used in any sort of combination together.

The Systems
Prefolds: Prefolds are what many people think of when they think of cloth diapers. They come in cotton, hemp and bamboo. They also come in different sizes based on the size of the baby. They go under wool soakers, PUL or nylon covers, vinyl covers, poly or polar fleece. They are held together by safety pins or snappies. When the prefold is soiled, throw it in the diaper pail for cleaning and reuse your cover until that is soiled.
Fitted Diapers: These are made out of cotton (often mixed with a little bit of polyester for hold), bamboo, and microfleece/microterry. Again these are covered with wool soakers, PUL or nylon covers or poly/polar fleece. When the diaper is wet or dirty, you throw the fitted diaper in the diaper pail for washing and reuse the fitted diaper cover until that is soiled.
Pocket Diapers: Pocket diapers are exactly that. They look like a disposable diaper. They usually have the outer lining made from PUL or vinyl or even nylon. The PUL is very popular due to how flexible it is. There is a "pocket" made between the fleece, microterry, cotton or bamboo liner and the PUL that is filled with a liner made from any absorbent material. When the diaper is dirty or wet, you take the whole diaper and throw it in the diaper bucket to be washed.
All-In-Ones: These are diapers that are the most like disposables. There is no stuffing the liner because the liner is sewn in and you wash it with it all in place. Hence, all in one. They are very similar to the pockets except the liner is in it, nonremovable. You could stuff a doubler (doublers are extra liners-usually hemp- that help your diaper absorb more) in there for overnight if you wanted but it would probably be very snug.

Once you get started in cloth, it seems like there are many possibilities (and there are!), the best thing to do is get a little bit of several different types and see what you like. Give yourself some time to get used to it and then decide. Have fun with it!!

Off to wash diapers.....

Why Cloth Diapers?

I love cloth diapers. When my little girl was born, my husband and I decided that we would use cloth diapers. I did tons of research, and decided that there were too many good reasons to use cloth diapers and not very many bad ones. Some of the main reasons are:

• It is real fabric. No garbage, no chemicals. Do you wear plastic underwear?
• Some of the chemicals in disposable diapers are toluene, xylene and styrene (these all emit chemical vapors with use) Also, the highly toxin product called dioxin is used in disposables during the bleaching process.
• By using cloth diapers you help to save about 40 million trees felled each year, just to make disposable diapers.
• Also, you help to save 1 ton of human waste from being buried in landfills where it does not belong. With cloth diapers, the waste is routed through the sewage system where it should be.
• Using cloth diapers will help to save you money. 1-2 thousand dollars over 2 years, especially if you wash your own.
• It takes approximately 500 years for ONE disposable diaper to decompose.
• Have you seen all of the cloth diapers out there? They are addictive and super cute!!

So, we started with several different kinds of cloth. A few wraps, a couple all-in-ones, some prefolds and just got started. It took about 3 weeks before we decided what we liked best and which kinds weren't going to work for us. We are an all-in-one family right now-I can only say good things about them. They are easy to use, clean up really well, the only time that we have ever had diaper rash is when our little one is teething, and they come in thousands of different designs and patterns. You can even get some custom made!

So take a look around, I am sure that there is a cloth diaper system out there for you! These aren't your mom's cloth diapers!!