The Little Things We Do

At the start of each new year I am always  filled with ideas and thoughts of what I want to change or improve on in my life. Committing to being a better protector of our planet is an important decision to make.
Committing to a life of green doesn’t mean you have to become a tree huggin', granola (although, I think I would take that as a compliment). You don't even have to start wearing patchouli! You can start making small changes that together can make a big difference.

Here is a list of little things we do around our house that take very little effort. 

Hankies

I have always used a handkerchief instead of tissues. The fibers of the tissues irritate my allergies and handkerchiefs are reusable! I like to collect pretty vintage hankies and save my packs of plain white ones for cold and flu season! :) (anyone recognize my very first hankie? 1979 Hello Kitty Little Star Twins!)

Egg Cartons

I use egg cartons a lot  for organization of small items. Here I’ve used some in my jewelry box to organize my earrings. I also use them to store ornaments or packing breakable collections when moving.

Bag Trash Can

I too, forget my cloth bags in the car at the grocery store and end up with tons of plastic bags. I take some back to the store and the rest I save for trash bags. This is our kitchen trashcan that uses shopping bags. Because of its size, this small can also forces you not to put anything in it that can go in the recycling or compost bins.

Fruit Crates

I love fruit crates! Here I used a large one as a recycling bin for newspapers and mags and then I have clementine crates all over my house organizing anything from kitchen linens to vitamins. They are compact and stackable!!

Drying Rack

I use a drying rack to dry our cloth diapers as well as some delicate laundry. I put the rack outside in the summer and near a heat vent in the winter!

Old to New Crayons

My daughter can’t keep from breaking a crayon to save her life and I can’t stand 100 tiny pieces!! Ahhh! As a compromise we melted down the pieces in a silicon ice cube tray and made her new heart shaped chubby crayons! (theses are harder to break too!)

Jars
I love jars!! I save jars from everything (ball jars, soda, juice) and use them for decorating, lighting and storage!

 

(this is a solar powered lid with a bulb that fits most jars to create jar lights!)

Rechargeable Batteries
We have kids therefore we go through a TON of batteries. We use rechargeable batteries as much as we can. I have to admit that rechargeables do not work that great for large items such as a massive baby swing; but for remotes, small toys and flashlights, they are great!

See, we haven't gone mad around here!! We just do a little here and there and it all adds up! Take a glance around your home, I bet you are greener than you think!
Buzz!

Homemade Organic Baby Food

Hi Busy Bees!

I’ve had several people ask me about making homemade organic baby food.  I do not like to cook however I LOVE making homemade baby food. It’s quick, easy, and less expensive than buying premade baby food.

Here are the items you will need:

-Baking sheet or large pot (depending if you plan to bake or boil)

-Potato masher

-Bowl

-Ice cube or baby food trays

-Organic veggies

Really, this is ALL you need! 


I have toyed with the idea of buying the Beaba Babycook Food Maker that steams and blends all in one container but since the above mentioned was good enough for my first child, I may just stick with it!

If you are just starting solids with your baby, you want to begin with orange veggies. Orange veggies such as butternut squash, sweet potatoes and carrots have the most comparable taste to breast milk or formula.  You can then move onto green veggies such as peas and green beans and then finally onto fruits. You want to save fruits until the very last as your baby might decide he prefers the sweetness of the fruits and refuse the veggies.

I started both children with butternut squash.  Simply cut the squash in half, scoop out the seeds and bake. I filled the inside of the squash with water and covered it with a piece of foil to create steam. Bake at 350 until soft. You can also peel the squash, chop and boil (this is what I do with smaller vegetables such as carrots or broccoli), in both cases save some of the water to mash in with the veggie.

Once the veggies are super soft (either from baking or boiling) put into a bowl and mash with a potato masher adding water until you reach your desired consistency.  

Once cooled, scoop into freezer trays and freeze overnight.  The next day you can put the frozen cubes into a freezable container or bag. Done! Now you have individual servings you can take from the freezer to the fridge in the morning and let thaw for each meal.

One organic butternut squash cost about $4.00  and makes about 16 1oz servings. One jar/pouch of organic butternut squash baby food can cost anywhere from .75 to $1.15 for 2.5 serving depending on the brand. So you are saving some money, saving some jars and the whole process (outside of the baking) maybe took me 15 minutes!!

 BUT most of all,

He loves it!! :)

Buzz!!