As my family doubled in size, from 3 to 6, our waste seemed to quadruple in size. As a mom, I knew I had to do something to ensure the legacy of our family could continue to thrive on this planet. I've never been very Eco-conscious before. The more disposable something was, the better; it meant less work/hassle for me. If it was easier or more convenient, I wanted it, no matter the environmental effects. That was the old me.

I've done many things already to try to make our family's footprint on this earth a little smaller. Here, I'll start by listing the small changes we made at first, move into the bigger changes, and I'll continue to update this post to include new changes we're making. Some things we were able to change overnight, others take time. I'll admit, there are still a lot of things that are not very earth friendly taking place under our roof, we're a work in progress! I want to share our progress for a couple reasons. I want to help other families like ours realize that although you're busy, you can do it too, and maybe you can save a little extra time by benefiting from the research/ ideas/processes we've adapted. Once you have the correct mindset, things start to make sense and fall into place, hopefully this may help you with the mindset portion too. Secondly, we are a work in progress, I want to learn from other 'green' people out there. So, let me hear from you if you've got a great green idea/process that has eliminated waste from your home.

Remember the three R's: Reduce, Recycle, Reuse!

Here's what we've done so far:

Reduce
Paper plates. Oh, how I loved my paper plates! but now they're Gone! (roughly an $10/month savings)
Plastic water bottles. This used to be the only way I would drink water. We'd go through 2 cases a week, minimum. Gone! (roughly a $24/month savings) We now each have our own refillable water bottles and a filter on the sink faucet.
Junk Mail. We get a 1/4 of the junk mail we used to by contacting companies and getting removed from mailing lists.
Diapers. Diapers are a huge source of waste here. Soon, that will no longer be the case. That's right, I'm going cloth! The cloth diaper world is booming, and these aren't your grandma's cloths either. There are all sorts of new fangled options out there now. With a lot of help from Jen, I have ordered cloth diapers and all the accessories needed to diaper 3 boys! I still have a good little stock pile of disposable diapers and wipes, this will help me make the transition. I'll still be using disposables when away from home and at night for now. Baby steps. I also will be using be making my own wipe solution and begin using cloth wipes!! (roughly $280-$300/month savings) Note: It cost me about $200 to buy cloth that will last me until potty training, I've already broken even!)
Paper towels. This is a hard one. But, as soon as I use the 12-pack recently bought from Sam's we'll be using cloth napkins. And old rags, t-shirts, other random cloth pieces will be used for cleaning. (roughly $15/month savings)
Buy Bulk. I have to buy individually wrapped snacks for Taylor's snack days at school, but for home, we buy in bulk and divide it ourselves. This saves both money and packaging materials. I do this with everything; buying meat in bulk really saves a lot of money! (roughly $20 savings/month)
Cook in bulk. This one is fairly new to me, and it takes practice and planning. I haven't mastered this one yet to say the least. Cook several alike meals at the same time and freeze them. That way you only use the stove, and heat the house one time for the entire weeks' worth of dinner. I'm going to do a menu plan and example of this some time in the near future. (unknown savings, but you will save)
Plastic shopping bags. I started buying cloth grocery bags here and there, I now have enough for even my biggest shopping trips. Therefore, eliminating my use of plastic grocery bags. BTW, these bags are NOT recycled like normal plastics because the recycling process cost more than the bag itself and it's such a low grade, most of them end up in our landfills.
Homemade baby food. The boys are getting ready to start eating baby food. Instead of buying jars, I'll be making their food from foods we would normally be eating anyways. This will allow me to continue to buy in bulk, as well as not throw away 27-30 jars (once they get a little older) a day! (roughly $200/month savings)
Conserve Energy. I took the dishwasher off of the "heated drying" cycle, allowing the dishes to drip dry, or I dry them with a cloth towel. Wade is also going to be hanging a clothes line for me out back to hang dry diapers, sheets, blankets, towels, some clothes etc. AND as our regular light bulbs blow, we're replacing them with the new compact fluorescent bulbs. Of course we do all the normal things too, like cutting off lights, appliances, TV's when not in use. We keep doors closed and windows closed tightly, except for spring and fall when we turn off the a/c or heater and let the house air out; my favorite time of year! (roughly $50/month savings)
Cleaning Products. As I use up the store bought cleaning products and detergents I have, I will re-use the bottles and refill them with homemade cleaning solution. ( if I divide the cost I'd normally spend in a year by 12, roughly $15/month savings)
Gardening. Next spring Wade and I will plant our own organic garden (we won't use traditional pesticides and will use soil generated from our own compost pile). (This will save SO much $$!)

Recycle
We recycle plastic (types 1 & 2), tin cans, aluminum cans, newspapers, magazines, batteries, ink cartridges, and juice pouches. I have bins outside to separate each. I clean out the item, remove all labeling and lids(not recyclable), and toss it in the appropriate bin. Actually, that's Taylor's job. To get him involved with recycling, after I get it all clean, he takes it to the bin. He even attempts to crush the cans for me. I go to the park 3 times a week, where I have to pass by the recycling center. I never make a special trip just to recycle (conserving gas)!

Reuse
I reuse lots of containers. The bowls the butter comes in are great for saving leftovers, plastic shopping bags double as garbage can liners (I had a ton stock piled from before I started using cloth grocery bags), Similac cans are great for lots of storage needs. I have some that I cut a slit in the lid and use them to store coke tabs (which I save also) and one that I save School Box Tops in. We use them in the shed to sort nails and screws. I use them in the bathroom for storage. I paint them pretty colors and use them everywhere! My herb garden is even planted in reused containers.

COMING SOON:
Homemade recipes for baby food, cleaning products, and other household products!
I'll also be posting a list of helpful green websites soon!
If you'd like to submit a recipe, website, or idea to be posted here, please email me at twjlloyd@bellsouth.net.