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Edited 8-22-08 - Winner - The winner of the Organic Jammies according to random.org is commenter #27, Misty at The Urech Quads! Congrats!

Obviously I endorse organic clothing for our kiddos because this minimizes instances where nasty chemicals (pesticides) are in close contact with their skin. Cotton is one of the favorite materials for kids pajamas because it is breathable but conventional cotton is also grown with lots of pesticides. Another BIG downer is that most of the jammies you will find at conventional stores are doused with flame retardants for fire safety reasons. These flame retardant chemicals are bad news. Many of them have been named by consumer groups as a “probable carcinogens.”

For all of these reasons I really like a company called New Jammies that makes organic, chemical free jammies for kids that are FUN enough to satisfy the kids too. Children deserve to sleep in the purest and finest breathable organic cotton right? Just look at some of their cute designs…bananas, carrots, peas, geckos, butterflies. They have bright, vibrant colors and they are so much fun. I especially love the food jammies because it helps to get the message across that fruits and veggies are preferred foods…yummy, healthy foods.

I have a pair of short set, organic jammies in a butterfly print. The size is 3T and these probably would be preferred for girls. They are purple, pink, and celery green. To win them….just leave me a comment! That’s it! I will pick a winner with random.org on Friday, August 22nd.

The economy is bad, gas prices are high, food prices are rising and many green families may be wondering how they can afford organics, costlier natural items, and some of those green gadgets that cost more now and end up helping you save later. I have gotten several emails this week from moms asking about how to make this process more affordable.

I DO understand that it is cheaper to buy that 99 cent sunscreen tube from Walgreen’s instead of the safer but more expensive brand the EWG recommends. It will surely be cheaper to buy the conventionally grown strawberries instead of the organic ones. But when you look at the green/organic/natural versus conventional debate outside that narrow frame and look at the larger picture I think you might see why going green really won’t cost you anything more…in fact going green will save you some green. It is a lifestyle…not a series of one or two choices at the grocery store and it does balance out…at least in my experience.

I decided to write up some of the ways you can save money going green. With all of these cost savings it becomes easier to see why buying organic or buying more efficient appliances, or green gadgets should be able to fit in the budget. It was written of course for people relatively new to the green process. If you are already living very simply and frugally and still can’t afford some of the higher ticket items…the cash flow is what needs to change.

Consume Less -Green and frugal living means buying less. If you ask before every purchase do I NEED this, you will find that much of what you buy is a want…not a need. Doing without many of the small “wants” can allow you to save up for the bigger green items you have your eye on. If you pay for garbage services this will also affect your garbage bill. A trash compactor comes in handy to act a measuring stick in this regard too. I got one from Freecycle not long ago with some compactor bags and it really does help you to see how much waste you generate. It was an awesome free find too…but there is the added expense of trash compactor bags. This store has great deals on bulk purchases for every model imaginable, just in case there are any other trash compactor fans out there. They can really help you wittle your garbage down to one can a month!

Reuse- Stop buying disposable plates, cups, napkins, paper towels, plastic water bottles, etc. All of these items are convenient but they cost more than making do with reusable products. Your budget and your green goals are worth the extra elbow grease. Cloth diapers and alternative menstrual products will also save you money. When buying new products consider the reusability factor.

Recycling for Money Savings - Recycle products to give them a new use and replace things you might otherwise buy. An example would be glass jars. Save that tomato sauce jar and use it as a drinking glass…you will never need to buy glassware again. Use another jar as a piggy bank, a vase, or a storage container. Jeans are another example….cut up those worn jeans and make a purse….you recycled and you have new purse. Stained clothing can be tye dyed instead of tossed.

Green Cleaning- Cleaning products are expensive but natural cleaners are NOT. I read once that the average U.S. household spends $600 annually on chemical cleaning supplies. For only $25, you can replace every one of those cleaning products with a safer, non-toxic, biodegradable homemade version that use common ingredients like baking soda, club soda, vinegar, lemons, castile soap and salt! They work just as good but they cost a fraction of the price and they are safe for your family. Yes, you can buy green cleaners too but maybe if you made your own, you could easily fit some more organic groceries into the budget.

Energy Savings- Greenies consume less energy and this save money on energy bills. Here are simple ideas for increasing energy savings:

*  Turn off the lights and power strips when not in use. There are also smart power strips that can do this for you.

*  Use motion sensor lighting so that lights never get left on accidentally. We LOVE these.

*  Turn your heater thermostat down 2 degrees in winter and up 2 degrees in the summer. Use a programmable thermostat.

*  Wrap your pipes and hot water heater with insulation to make them more efficient.

*  Compact fluorescent bulbs save energy and money. Yes, they have mercury in them but with proper care this shouldn’t be a big deal. LED bulbs would be even better but they require a heftier initial investment.

*  Hang your clothes to dry on a rack or outdoor clothes line instead of using the dryer.

*  Use inexpensive low-flow shower and sink attachments to save water. I also like my smart showerhead.

*  Collect rainwater to use elsewhere or in times of drought. It is easier if you have a nifty rainwater collection system but garbage cans or plastic storage bins work too.

*  In the summer use window fans to blow cool air into the house at night. Turn them off and close the windows when it starts to get warm. I have a thermometer right outside the window to make this process easier.

*  Use weatherstripping and window quilts to keep it warm in the winter.

Driving -Greenies usually drive less or at least more efficiently. It helps with fuel efficiency if you maintain your car and tires well, use cruise control to maintain speed, drive the speed limit, and of course carpool, ride a bike, or walk whenever you can. Green cars like hybrids use way less gas and griesels use waste vegetable oil instead of gas. I would LOVE to be able to convert an older diesel to run on veggie oil.

Thrift Shopping -Green shopping might mean…buying less of course but also buying used whenever possible. Vintage or second hand clothing is preferable to new. Freecyle, Craigslist, Ebay, and clothing swaps all help us to find great deals. Some greenies even dabble in Freeganism or dumpster diving.

Eating for Less - Check out my post on ways to make organics affordable. But here are some general tips:

*  Grow your own food
*  Buy in bulk - Saves money and reduces packaging
*  Eat less meat - Meat production is devastating to the environment and it is costly
*  Cook at home instead of going out
*  Drink tap water

 
Coupons!! - Use coupons like crazy to get money savings. You can usually visit the web sites for the products you like and print or request coupons. Mambo Sprouts has some awesome coupon books for organic and green products. Kiwi magazine and other organic friendly mags have coupons in the back. Also ask on Freecycle for the coupon section of the monthly paper or recent issues of magazines that have the coupons you need in them. I know one gal that did this every week…she never had to buy the paper and got TONS of free coupons.

Beautify for Less - Beauty products can often be made at home using simple ingredients. Here are recipes for homemade toothpaste and deodorant. Trying the No Poo method of haircare will save you a ton as well. Getting rid of your conventional beauty products should make some room in the budget for that slightly more expensive but safer sunscreen.

It is a challenge for green families many times to buy sustainable furniture. Certainly what you find in most conventional furniture stores is not so eco friendly…perhaps they sourced the wood unethically, they used toxic dyes and paints, or they doused the furniture with toxic flame retardants. My solution for that is to buy used…that way I am not contributing to the consumption of new materials and whatever it is has had ample opportunity to off-gas. I do think it is wonderful though that so many companies are making green furniture…I just think they need to lower the price to a more reasonable level so that more people can consider this option.

We recently got an EcoTots project table for the kiddies and it is a nice piece of play furniture…much better for the environment than the SpongeBob table and chairs we got a Wal-Mart a few years back (and still have) but alas I am torn about the price because how many can afford to spend $400 on something like this. The MSRP is $400 but you can get them on Amazon right now for only $250. Still…no small chunk of change for a kids play table.

The design is rather beautiful…very artistic and retro. We have the Red Fire table and it is a really gorgeous color, adorned with eco-friendly, non-toxic, water-based stains. UV cured for reduced greenhouse gases emissions. I love the way it looks against our family room rug.

The wood is 100% formaldehyde-free birch plywood SmartWood®. All materials are sourced in North America and wholly designed and manufactured in the USA. The manufacturing company is a member of the SFC (Sustainable Furniture Council) and their products have a lifetime construction guarantee.

Oh and one REALLY nice feature is that you don’t need any tools to put them together. They kind of fit together like puzzle pieces and a little twist secures them. The stools also fit nicely underneath the table when not in use. The table set comes in four groovy colors: fire, natural, leaf and cocoa.

The kids really like the table but not more so than their Spongebob table. So this furniture is really for mom and her green piece of mind but my piece of mind can be bought with second hand stuff so I doubt I would buy up the rest of the EcoTots collection. Although I love their little coat racks and easel. I don’t love the price however. But for moms who will spend that kind of money at say…Pottery Barn…this stuff would be a better alternative. EcoTots really does have a pretty snazzy collection.

Here is some “in action” pictures at our house:

My daughter reading…

And my son playing with his Bausteine Eene, Meene, Zoo Haba blocks and drinking from his safe sippy.

Well, this is not big news. PVC is a bad thing to expose our family to. It has, however been getting a lot more bad press lately and rightly so….the CHEJ has a 40 page report about it called Volatile Vinyl. PVC is also referred to often as the poison plastic. One of the products that we are especially being warned about is shower curtains. The report especially lambasted them. Just look at this table I snagged from the report:

Shower curtains seem so innocent but they pack a nasty chemical punch! I don’t have any shower curtains…only glass doors…so I do not have to worry about this issue but I did make a list of safe shower curtains that have no PVC or other volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Hopefully this list will help some people phase out their PVC shower curtains.

Hemp Shower Curtain

Organic Hemp Shower Curtain

EVA Vinyl Shower Curtains - These are PVC free and they come in many great designs that are educational too! They actually help you learn about things from weather to the periodic table. What better way to spend shower time?

Metamorphosis Shower Curtain - EVA vinyl

Periodic Table Shower Curtain - EVA vinyl

Dinosaurs Shower Curtain - 100% EVA vinyl

Periodic Table Shower Curtain - EVA vinyl

Weather Shower Curtain - EVA vinyl

Olive Kids Shower Curtains for Kid Friendly Bathrooms:

Pirate Shower Curtain

Mermaids Shower Curtain

Wild Animals Shower Curtain

PVC Free Bath and Shower Toys -

Sitting Duck Bath Toy - Natural Latex Rubber - No Phthalates or BPA

Bath Splash Fun Set 5 pieces PVC-Free

Nesting Stacking Cups 5 pieces PVC-Free

Gone Fishin’ - Pond

When I wrote fairly recently about avoiding commercialism I hinted that sewing would be extremely helpful in this regard and I got one or two comments/emails that sewing your own clothing or housewares was a bit extreme. I was REALLY surprised buy this because in my opinion sewing is a hugely valuable skill and an important one to pass on to your kids. Sewing is extreme? Sewing was something that most people in days past had to know how to do if they wanted clothing or home decor. When did it lose its status as a valuable skill for the self sufficient to something only extremists do? As far as I am concerned it is still an important skill.

I remember watching my mother and grandmother sew and I became interested in it myself when I was a preteen. I was making my own dresses by the time I was a teen and when I was an adult I started a business that required daily sewing. Happily I have two kids already interested. My seven year old son wants his own machine even, so I am giving him lessons on mine so he can learn.

Even if you aren’t sewing clothes there are so many other things you can sew and really it isn’t that hard to learn. Just recently I finally got a chance to read a book written by a fellow blogger Amy Carol at Angry Chicken. She wrote Bend the Rules Sewing and it is a guide for beginners who want to learn how to sew. The opening chapters discuss the terminology and language of a seamstress…fabric grain, a miter, notions, selvage, and one of my fave terms…stitching in the ditch. It also covers the tools with descriptions and pictures, a seam ripper, chalk, thimbles, thread, irons, bias tape, etc.

After it covers all those basics it has several patterns and instructions for making 30 cute projects. Some of the projects include a wallet, a headband, a handbag, aprons, easy lap quilts, pillows, coasters, place mats, napkins, curtains, and children’s items. All of them have step by step instructions and pictures. I am so inspired after reading this book. I think I am going to sew up a scalloped baby blanket for a new baby in our extended family.

The subtitle on the book says it all: Fresh patterns, 30 cute designs, great for beginners, learn the basics, have FUN, sew with abandon, its easy!

A few years back I started buying wood toothbrushes with natural bristles. I like them fairly well but I didn’t feel quite right about using wood for such a disposable item. Then I happened upon Preserve Toothbrushes at Whole Foods and my whole family has been using them ever since.

The Preserve Toothbrush is made from recycled yogurt cups which is actually a BIG eco boost because most recycling centers will not recycle open mouth containers like yogurt cups…so they go in the landfill. Preserve has opted to use them to make their wonderful toothbrush and their popular razor. I was only too happy to support a company like that.

Also, when you are finished with your toothbrush..don’t throw it away. Go the Preserve web site and print a postage paid label and ship it back to them so it can be recycled again!

The BEST part of all this though is that they are affordable. You can buy them at any Target store for only $2.04. That is comparable to the mainstream and not-so eco friendly toothbrushes and better than any other price for Preserve I have yet seen. They come in lots of groovy colors and my family loves them. And if your kids NEED to have a more cutesy version they have a Preserve Jr. Toothbrush too.

Mom Central also has some printable coupons for a $1 off a purchase of two toothbrushes. Happy brushing!

Looking for a new showerhead? Why not pick one that is green/smart and helps you save on water AND energy.

I recently got a 1.6 GPM Energy and Water Saving Showerhead from the Clean Air Gardening Store and it is a great product for a green home. It addresses a common habit…leaving the water running while it heats up. Of course no one wants to step into frigid water but it is all to easy to turn it on and then leave to do other things. I know I am guilty of that and my kids can be to. We end up wasting hot water and energy many times when we do this. But with this showerhead it is no biggie if you need to go run to the laundry room to get a clean towel because this showerhead is SMART.

It has a built-in ShowerStart technology sensor that senses when the water is warm enough. It senses when the water reaches normal bathing and showering temperature (95 degrees) then “pauses” the flow of water, retaining instead of wasting your hot water. When hear the water stop running and know your shower is ready to go. When you are ready to get in, jump in and turn the valve to resume water flow. Easy!

You save water by not wasting it and you save energy by not heating up water that just goes down the drain..your shower waits for you. It is also a low flow showerhead, and will save about 8 gallons or water for every 5 minutes you shower and according to their web site that should save you around $230 on utility bills and more than 7,600 gallons of water per year. It pays for itself after 3 months. It is only $39.99 at Clean Air Gardening.

Here is a video to show you how it works. The only difference between the one in the video and ours is that ours has a cord attached to it so even the kids can pull it and re-start the water….very cool.

Air pollution is considered to be one of the leading environmental risks today.  Traditionally the way we have addressed this problem is by eliminating the cause of the pollutants and to incorporate good ventilation in our homes with clean outdoor air.  Sometimes, however, these methods are insufficient because of weather conditions, or inability to address the cause or risks inherent in the outdoor air (e.g. any contaminants that may be present outside for whatever reason).  In these instances an indoor air cleaning device is usually required.

Choosing an air filtering device can be a little intimidating if you’re not sure what you’re looking for.  The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) considers some portable air filtration systems to be Class II medical devices.  In the United States FDA approval is required before any product can claim that status.  To get that approval a manufacturer must show that the device is safe and that it has a medical benefit.  Look for the Underwriters Laboratory seal (UL) and as statement of the FDA’s Class II approval.

There are five basic types of filters.

Mechanical filters:  These force air through a special mesh that traps particles like pollen and dust mites.  These filters can also capture particles like tobacco smoke.

Electronic filters:  These use electrical charges to attract and deposit allergens and irritants.  The particles then stick to a collecting plate that is then captured within the system.

Hybrid filters:  These have features of both the mechanical and electronic filers.

Gas phase filters:  These remove odors and non-particulate pollution like gasses given off by paint or building materials.

Ozone generators: Ozone cleans the air but the EPA and American Lung Association do not recommend these kinds of filters because ozone is harmful to the lungs.

Another more natural method of cleaning the air is with plants.  Trees and plants directly absorb carbon during their life-dependent process photosynthesis.  By taking in carbon dioxide and converting it to oxygen trees naturally remove excess carbon from the air. Plants also affect indoor air quality by collecting dust particulates on their leaf surfaces.

In a study conducted by NASA indoor plants were found to be so efficient at absorbing contaminants in the air that a decision was made to launch some into space as part of the biological life support system aboard future orbiting space stations.

One study found that flowering plants such as gerbera daisy and chrysanthemums excelled at removing benzene from a chamber used in an indoor study.  NASA researchers concluded that “plant leaves, roots and soil bacteria are all important in removing trace levels of toxic vapors.”

My own clean air plan for my home includes clean air plants and a couple air purifiers. What I REALLY want is an AccuClean Whole Home Air Filtration system. It removes up to an unprecedented 99.98% of unwanted particles and allergens from the filtered air in your home. Standard throwaway filters and ionic-type room appliances can’t even come close to that.

It filters airborne allergens like mold, dust mites, pollen, even pet hair and animal dander, before they can land on your rugs, floors and upholstery. It is also supposed to prevents odors and the majority of irritating particles like cooking grease, even smoke from burnt food, can be removed from the air. Oh and wow….it filters 99% of the common flu, or influenza A virus.

Even though I am sure the cost would be significant I think this would be a worthwhile purchase…maybe someday.