Yes I Used To Hate It

I really used to hate recycling. Plus as the only one that would do it, it got real tiring.
We seem to finally be all on the same page. It took a lot of pushing and griping but we are
now a family that recycles.

To me I used to feel like it was more work to wash out sort, and then drag something else out
to the curb. Really though with the way it works here on Belvoir all you have to do is rinse
out and put all the recycling in one bin. I have a bag for trash and then another for recycling.
Then when the trash goes out, so does the recyclables.

I have also found out that you can be green and recycle more then just plastics, paper, glass
and aluminum. By buying used toys, clothes or other used items you are being green and helping
the planet. I am one that likes things new, and their are definitely a few things I would not buy
used. Mattresses would be one of them and personal items. To me that just grosses me out, but I have learned that it is ok to have things that are not new. 

Here is a big number that did not surprise me at all. The average American produces 1,600 pounds of trash a year. This does not include industrial waste from fast food restaurants and such. For a family of five for a year that is 8,000 pounds and then over a fifteen year span that makes it 120,000 pounds of trash. That is a lot of trash! We can change this though be recycling, and reusing.

For kids an easy way to recycle is to buy used toys. Living on a military post I have been lucky to find a lot things that were ment for the landfill when families move. I have found toys that would cost us upwards of thirty dollars for free. I just washed them up really well with vinegar and they were like brand new. Also if you want to help out the planet and go a little bit more greener, buywooden toys. At least if it gets thrown out it will deteriorate faster and be better then plastic. Granted it still uses trees but nothing in my eyes is perfect.

Getting the family on board for recycling took some determination. Ok. Reallyit was more like some demanding and threatening,and repeating of the pharse "This is not trash, this goes in the recycling." (Imagine my hands on my hips) I had to make it easy and accessible for the man of the house. So I have two diffrent bags, one for trash and one just for recycling out in the open. He told me he will do it but he won't go out of his way to hunt down the recycling bag.That is progress in my book.

I am working on getting two trash cans and then labeling each so I will not have to worry no more about
bags sitting in my kitchen. I tend to be OCD which how things look, and everything has to have a place. I wanted to talk about something that is new to me called upcycling. Basically it is taking something and making something else out of it. Or otherwise meaning making it better then what it was. Similar to recycling yes, but when you recycle it actually changes say plastic to a lesser quality product. I am interested in this especialy since I found a purse that you can make out of old pop cans. I will include the link below, it is quite interesting.

Truth is recycling does take some effort and want. Once you understand though and see how much waste you really make though it can be enlightening. My focus for recycling was that I wanted my children to have a clean and safe planet to live on.  It became more then that though because after I did the research I wanted  to understand their impact on the world. Hopefully they will be able to learn and understand this at an earlier age then I did.

Recycling has been something new to this family. It has been a fight, but a good one. I have even noticed that
we use less trash bags. It has also opened up discussions about reducing and reuseing. Tony actually came homeone day from the store with recycled aluminum foil. I was quite proud. I no longer look at recycling as something time consuming at all.

Link to upcycled purse:

http://thegogreenblog.com/diy-soda-can-purse/

Link to upcycling ideas: (Somethings seem werid, but at least it can give you an idea of what upcycling is and
can be)

http://toponlineengineeringdegree.com/?page_id=116



For those who are interested in how they affect the planet you can actually track your carbon footprint.
A carbon footprint in layman terms is the everyday things we do and the affect it has on the planet. Here
is a link that can actually show you how you affect the planet.


http://www.nature.org/initiatives/climatechange/calculator/?gclid=CJ_V5MSH3qQCFd9n5QodIC87KA


Recycling is now more then throwing some stuff in a bin. Have fun with it and get the family involved.

Green with Fluffy

I love fluff! I love talking about it, getting it in the mail, and of course buying it. I am of course talking about cloth diapers. I always knew I would use cloth diapers. My mom used them on all of us. I helped her with my brother many times and felt important carrying that dirty diaper to the bathroom. 

My mom though did not really do it out of the idea that she needed to save the planet but out of necessity.  I realized though as it got closer and closer to the boys coming my reasoning was twofold. I love being eco-friendly but, if you ever have had children you know what I am about to talk about, the expense.  On average we probley would have spent a minimum of $2000 for 2yrs period for one child. Add another baby in diapers and it would have been a whooping minimum of $4000 in two years! Yikes.

That’s a lot of money when you think about it. With the cloth when finally finish getting what we  need probably have spent about $500 for both boys for approximately two years. Now that is a deal! So I know there are some out there that will argue how it is saving money when you have to use energy to wash them, and dry them.  We have dealt with this by taking steps to reduce our energy usage elsewhere. We turn off lights when we leave a room, hang the diapers to dry instead of running the dryer, (this is actually better for cloth diapers anyways), turning off the air when it is nice out and much more.

               

               When I first looked at cloth diapers I was just going to get the old-fashioned plastic pants and pins.  That’s what my mom and grandma used so I felt it was good enough for me. I decided to look online and see what was available. Wow. Cloth diapers are definitely not the same as they used to be. I started with prefolds, flats, and yes those noisy plastic pants. Then switched to prefolds and covers, but now I finally have found what works for us. Ok really that means what is the easiest for Tony to figure out. Besides that he was afraid of sticking the kids with the safety pin.

                 

              What we use now is mostly pocket diapers. They have snaps on them and a liner that you stuff into the diaper for absorbency.  Some of mine are one size so they will fit from around 7pds to 35pds.  Then when you change the diaper you knock any solids into the toilet (you can get a diaper sprayer to) and pull out the insert and throw them into a pail. Then every few days I wash. I ended up switching to cloth wipes to because it was just easier to throw them in the wash with the diapers.

               

         I am glad we are cloth diapering not only because of the high cost of disposables but because of the impact on the environment. I am including a few links below.  Some of the links will show what kind of cloth diapers are available to. I have also included a link to a friend’s Facebook page where we talk and discuss cloth diapering and much more.  If you have questions please let me know.

ClothDiaper MommaFriends Facebook Page:  

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000187715381&v=wall&story_fbid=149628058406045&ref=notif&notif_t=like#!/profile.php?id=100001428102929&ref=ts

All about Cloth diapers: (Including the dangers to humans and the enviroment)

http://www.realdiaperassociation.org/diaperfacts.php

These last two will give you an idea of what is out there how to wash them etc.:

http://www.diaperjungle.com/cloth-diaper-types.html

http://babyinclothdiapers.buntingresources.com/types_of_cloth_diapers.html

My Arch Enemy

    I really should be folding clothes right now. LOL Oops. Oh well they are not going anywhere, and I need a break! So what is my arch enemy? I'll give you a hint. It is a micro-organism, you can kill it and as of the moment it is one of about 1,500 species. Give up? Or maybe you have guessed it.

     I am taking about Saccharomyces cerevisiae or in laymen terms yeast. The stuff that makes bread rise, and also is used to ferment alcohol.  There was a time when I was quite efficient at killing it. Just ask Tony because he has been the tester for many a loaf of bread that just....well lets just say was not good. I have always wanted to make bread, and who does not want a slice of warm fresh bread with real butter on it.

     So I got excited one day a few years ago, and decided without any knowledge of what I was getting myself into that I was going to make bread. I thought my ancestors did it! Why can't I? How hard can it be? I convinced myself that it would be a piece of cake.  For those of you that do make bread you more then likely know it is not always as easy as throwing everything into a bowl. My ADD brain though did not care and as usual got way ahead of myself. The first time I tried the water was not warm enough to activate the yeast. The second time I killed it by having to hot of water.

     I gave up after about the fifth try. Then after the boys were born and my mom was here I begged her to make bread. Pleaded is more like it. Instead of just making it she showed me how. I kind of was not paying attention at first because I had given up along time ago on making bread. Then she pulled out the meat thermometer. I was intrigued by this, and decided maybe I should pay attention. You see yeast only will thrive and grow at a certain temperature. Picky stuff!

     After she left I decided to try for myself. I did some research.  Pulled out my trusty Betty Crocker cookbook and decided this time I had the upper hand. I started with white bread first. I could not believe it when I pulled it from the oven. It looked like bread, and it definitely smelled like bread. After it cooled down some I cut into it and realized that I had done it. It was not as hard as I had thought.

     I have moved on now to wheat bread, rolls, crescent rolls,  hamburger buns, hot dog buns, pizza dough and french bread. We don't buy bread anymore at the store. I now know exactly what is in our bread and can pronounce everything on the ingredient list. Mastering yeast has definitely been a great way to expand my baking skills. I am looking forward to making Cinnamon Rolls next time the kids come.

    So what are the benefits of making bread at home? I think at least for me it was knowing I did it. I created something and it gave me a sense of accomplishment. Of course there is the benefits of knowing the ingredients that go into it. I have also noticed that we don't eat as much bread now. I am wondering if that is because it is not processed, or because you know if you want more you have to make it.

     Here are some sites that can help you if you are interested in making your own bread.  Better go get the laundry folded now!



         - http://www.kingarthurflour.com/  (they also have a phone number you can call to get help)



        - http://www.baking911.com/pantry/leaveners_yeast.htm


        - http://www.cookingforengineers.com/article/213/Bakers-Yeast (explains different yeasts with pictures)



Also in closing here is the recipe that I use the most from King Arthur's recipes:



      - http://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/classic-sandwich-bread-recipe


(I double everything in the recipe except for the yeast for two loafs. To make this wheat bread do 3 cups of All-purpose flour and 3 cups Whole Wheat,)

Turning the Cable Off

Yes you read that right, and the world did not end either. We turned our cable off over six months ago. I will never forget the day Tony told me we were going to turn it off either. We were driving home from a friends and Tony was just like you know I like the idea of no cable. Huh?? What? My husband a sports fanatic and wrestling follower just said he wanted to turn the cable off!

After breathing again and checking to make sure the man in the front seat was really my husband. I said I never am gonna have time to watch it anyways with the boys coming. So we thought about it, mulled it over, and looked at the options. First of all cable can be expensive esp., then there is the fact that I really personally don't have the time to watch 300 channels. I don't even think I knew every channel we had!

So the day came to turn it off you should have heard the cable company try to keep us as customers. Hehehe they offered us free months to! We were prepared though and Tony stuck to his guns about turning it off. Now if any of you know my wonderful husband you know how he has little patentice for things that don't work right for him.

We knew we need a antenna so we got that, and hooked it up. Of course that was fun. Can't just sit the antenna on top of the TV. Not on an Air Force Base at least. Planes mess up signals and I was slowly regreating agreeing to this crazy idea. I mean I can handle no cable but no tv! That I refused to let happen. This is when the man with the great I idea started to get mad. Mumbling....well we won't go there with what he exactly said as he stompped around the living room holding the antenna in his hands.

After about an hour we found a good spot that was ok as long as you moved it every time you changed the channel. This was fine with me as long as I had some TV I was ok, but this was unacceptable for the man of the house who continued this process 4 more times with diffrent antennas. I even got to laughing as he snaked the cord outside to find just the right spot. This by the way was better then watching TV as he was holding the thing and going around the yard saying "Can you see it now? How about now? Anything yet?" Until he got mad enough to make his own. Here is the link to a video on how to do it:

http://www.wonderhowto.com/how-to-get-free-hdtv-with-a-coat-hanger-antenna-158597/

Finally we had an antenna that worked. It took awhile to get used to no Food Network, no WWE three times a week, and no DVR. I think that was the biggest adjustment I made at least. We get quite a few channels on it, which is funny cause we worked so hard on getting the antenna worked out and now I hardly ever watch TV. I leave it off all day, and we only watch it ever so often. Tony gets his Wrestling fix on Friday nights, a few games and Nascar on the weekends.

The best thing about not having cable or just turning the TV off is time. I always complained about no time. Now I have lots of time. I have time to make bread, we go for walks as a family, I sew, and we spend more quality time together. So all in all I think it has been not only money saving, great for our health, but has also given us a chance to spend time with each other. 

Starting Out

Here I am wondering how should start this blog out. Guess I should start out who I am, and why I am writing this blog. My name is Virginia I am 30yrs old this month, a  SAHM and who has three wonderful step-kids (one going to college next year, one who is in the Navy and one who is a Navy wife), two handsome 7 month old twin boys, and yes two grandkids. :)  Sound crazy enough yet? Oh I guess I should mention the most wonderful man in the world! The hubby. lol We have been married 7yrs. and he is in the Army. I love being an Army wife and Navy Mom.
Why this blog?  I have been recently cooking more from scratch, using cloth diapers, making my own wipes, and trying to go green. Oh guess you can add trying to be healthy to that. (When I have time) Am I old fashioned? I would like to think so and I wanted to share my thoughts, ideas and experiences of life. Plus I decided my crazy life might be just funny enough to share.