Much Ado about Making Do

Do you ever feel restless? Like something just isn't quite right? Most often when I feel restless big changes are on the horizon for our family. Feeling restless spurred me to leave my corporate job to return to the world of academia, it shifted the sights set on a dissertation and professorship to those of family and eventually a return to the business world. But when I think about our switch to cloth (while equally significant in our lives, hello IBB!), it was not caused by restlessness. Nope, I was mostly just MAD. Throwing away something we had just spent good money on. Again. And Again. And again. 

In short - our switch to cloth not only literally decreased our carbon footprint, but it also marked a shift in mindset as well. This change did not occur overnight, certainly. Instead, it was a gradual shift from an all-out-unchecked-consumer-centric life to one of quiet awareness. And eventually I found myself nearly landed in minsumerism.

'The Minsumerism Manifesto' (the sharply-observed and keenly-written outline penned by my newest favorite blogger Miss Minimalist) beautifully sums up most of my feelings of restlessness. I think I especially respond to her writing as her focus is not only about organizing and purging your current holdings, but also about reconsidering your relationship with consumption and the environmental consequences of these decisions.

I found I lately begin most of our dinner-table conversations with phrases such as 'Miss Minimalist says...' or 'I read on Miss Minimalist today....' To me this is a sign that so much of what she says has resonated with how I'm thinking and feeling. Whenever I'm researching a new idea, item or choice, if I read something that clearly doesn't suit us I give it due diligence and move on. But when something leaves me feeling restless, I know there is more work ahead of me. Good work. Work that will move us forward, and into a better place. 

With that, I'd like to introduce you to a new series on Bitsy Buzz - Much Ado About Making Do. Through these posts I'll chronicle our journey to further to pare down our lives, beyond our usual recycling and other 'green' choices. Now that I've devoured Miss Minimalist's primer, The Joy of Less, I'm ready to start the process. While we've been very good about decreasing our consumption over the last almost-two years, there still remains the evidence of our past life: scores of clothing, shoes, purses, vases, graduate school notebooks and the list goes on and on.

I don't purport that I'll end this journey with 100 possessions or be able to travel with just a carry-on. But I do hope to find a healthy balance between our old- and new-selves. 

Want to take part in this crazy journey? I highly recommend borrowing or downloading The Joy of Less  (after all, why buy until you know it will be a favorable contribution to your permanent library?). It is a quick read (I think I finished it in three bedtime-reading sessions). If it resonates with you and your place in life, it will likely cause some introspective rumblings (be forewarned, you'll likely be so inspired you'll actually considering getting out of bed at 3am to start purging). If it doesn't cause you to look around with new eyes (or you already are living the lifestyle she describes! go you!) then shut the book and know you've done your due diligence. 

With that, dear reader, I ask you - are you restless?

Snip, snip

Do you ever buy six-packs? Of pop, I mean (yes, 'pop,' thank you upper-Midwest). What do you do with that plastic-connector-thingy once you are done enjoying your beverages? 

I'm sure there are an intrepid few amongst us who have brilliant craft projects designed expressly around these rather benign objects of the everyday life. But what about the rest of us? Do you just toss them in the trash? 

May I encourage you to take a quick extra step? Consider cutting the plastic rings apart before throwing away. 

Why? Imagine scavenging animals digging through landfill-bound trash bags. What happens to one of these animals if a ring was to get caught on its snout, clamping its mouth shut?

While I'm positive a host of doctors and my mother would encourage me to stop drinking my body weight in Whole Foods Orange Creme Soda (gah, POP!), I would hate to imagine my sweet tooth ever hurting an animal. 

So, next time you finish off your six pack (of pop), consider grabbing the scissors and quickly snipping all of the rings apart. Not only will you potentially save a raccoon, but you also might discover a good test of hand-eye coordination and reflexes (word of warning, never cut while trying to stop your toddler from putting applesauce in her hair). 

ps. to those creative ladies amongst us, what kind of crafty projects could you do with one or more of these thingys? 

pps. if you know the technical term for the 'thingys' please let me know!

(p^3)s. 'soda,' 'pop' or 'coke?' 

Trash Talking

I'll admit it, I wish the trash and recycling guys came later in the day. Not that I mind the early pickup, necessarily, but I really just want my trash to sit outside for more of the day. Yup, I want people to eye my trash pile with a curious eye. 

'How on earth do they have so little trash?' I want people to wonder.

Or, 'don't they have a baby, where are all the diapers?'

Or, 'they must drop their trash somewhere else.'

Or, 'wow, their recycling pile is larger than their trash pile.'

I'll admit, on our old street we often drove by a neighbor's house wondering how exactly they managed to put out one small bag of trash a week. Two adults, one plastic bag (the likes of which you'd get at Target) was all that was ever there on trash day. I've since asked them how they do it and they shrugged off my question (aka veiled compliment). Either they truly don't notice their teeny footprint, or, they really are throwing away their trash elsewhere. 

I'm proud to say, we are getting there (notice this week's showcase, photo above). How do we do it? Live that motto you learned in elementary school - Reduce, Reuse and Recycle - very catchy and very true. A few ways we've put those R's into action: 

REDUCE

refillable water bottles - despite being recyclable, plastic bottles are a huge strain

cloth diapers - far fewer diapers needed from birth to potty training

cook from scratch - fewer processed packages to toss/recycle

get off mailing lists once and for all!

REUSE

wax cereal bags make great storage sacks, just roll the top and clip shut

sell or donate used items - make Freecycle and Craig's List your friends

RECYCLE

know your recycling laws inside and out, especially which plastics are accepted

seek out alternate recycling for items such as cork or glass, which are not normally accepted at the curb

compost - my husband has faithfully been feeding our worm composter all summer (and my ferns have never looked more beautiful, thank you worm juice) 

So friends, I challenge you to take a look at your waste come trash day. Are you proud of what you see? I know I am. Although I aspire to one day graduate to my very own Target-sized trash bag!

Move Over Letterman....

Welcome to another Marky Baby Monday (well, belated Monday)!

From the Desk of Marky Baby - 

Why did I switch to cloth? Hmmm. Good question.

Presenting the 'Top Four Reasons I Switched to Cloth.' 

4. Cost Savings

3. Environmental Impact

2. Fashion

1. It makes Abby happy! (Editor's note - awwwwwww)

So we all know cloth saves money. I knew it, but not really until I did the math myself. You can break those apples down as far as you want - a two or three year total savings, or a monthly savings, or even a per-change savings. No matter how you slice it, you need to find a number that sells either you or your other half. Just remember, for your partnership you are already convinced, but your partner may not be. Since I'm a bottom-line-numbers guy, all the possible cost-savings scenarios work for me. In fact, the initial cloth naysayers at my office got an earful of the following phrases: 

• 'Guess who saved $3 yesterday? Not you.'
• 'Guess who saved some landfill space yesterday? Me!'
• 'Do you really own jean diapers? I have sushi ones!'

But seriously, Abby and I work very hard for our money, why would we let Avalee poo on it and then throw it away? This is an investment. Plain and simple. You buy them, use them while saving money, and you typically can sell them when you are done. Or, if you are Abby, when you find a prettier one. (Editor's note - true fact!)

As the proud owner of a worm composter, I obviously care about the environment. We recycle, carpool, walk when we can, use fluorescent lights and do not own an SUV - why would we throw away diapers that have an estimated landfill shelf life of 500 years or so? Not sure. Some people may argue that disposable diapers are more eco-friendly than washing diapers over and over, but I am pretty sure those are the same people who said the world was flat. 

Ok, so the boring part is over. Money and the environment, as important as they may be, don't hold a candle to the fashion. Solid, prints and patterns - oh my! You have different clothes for different uses, and you also need different diapers for different reasons. Think about how cute your baby is dressed. I can imagine it now - a cute dress from Gymboree just below the knee, with a gorgeous flower print in a color scheme that brings out your little girl's eyes. Then styled up with some Robeez and maybe a purse? Who knows. Then your beautiful girl rolls on the ground, playing with the dog. 

Bam. There is Winnie the Pooh, and Piglet too, just looking at you from their crinkly paper background. 

Talk about ruining the moment!...like when your shoes don't go with your purse (or belt). Why not have coordinating diapers for your little one's outfits? You do it up with baby legs or shoes, why not diapers? You may as well. So break out the kitten heels (after all, you have a little one and cannot exactly chase them in stilettos) and let's accessorize. (Editor's note - is the chasing in stillettos a challenge? I accept!)

The last and final reason is simply that Abby really wanted to do cloth. That's all the reason I needed. All the other stuff was just fluff. Money is always good to save and the environment is cool and fashion is fun, but in this partnership we call a marriage, Abby had something she wanted and it was my job to sell myself. 

Why Cloth? A Pictorial Summary....

If reading isn't your cup of tea, consider this cheat sheet as a quick and dirty guide to the 'why' behind cloth diapering.

Why Cloth?

Why Cloth? It is a good question. I mean, we live in the age of convenience. Convenience stores supply all your last-minute needs (albeit for a pretty penny), convenience drive-thrus provide your photos, fast-food and prescriptions. Why give up the convenience of disposables for a (presumed) less convenient diaper system? 

For me, money and the environment were primarily the two factors motivating our switch to cloth. However, there is a third very real aspect to also consider - the chemicals in a conventional disposable diaper. 

The Money

Let's talk money. Various estimates put the cost of disposable diapers, for one child, somewhere between $1,500 and $2,500. (1 - 3) This number is staggering, but most people consider disposables to be just a part of having a baby, and budget accordingly. Now imagine if you could diaper your baby for less than a third of the cost of disposables. And then imagine you could reuse these diapers for your next child(ren). The cost savings is staggering. 

I think where people get the most shell-shocked is the upfront cost of cloth diapering. Why invest $300-$600 into cloth diapers when you can buy a pack of disposables for under $20? Does this question ring true to you? (One note - notice my phrasing in the last sentence - 'invest.' Cloth diapers are just that, an investment, not only economically, but also in the health of both your child and the environment.)

If you have browsed through my shop I am sure you have noticed there are diapers covering all price ranges. If you choose to buy Flats or Prefolds you could diaper your child(ren) for as little as $200. If you chose to use diapers such as Pockets, All-In-Twos or All-In-Ones you will notice the cost of cloth diapering jumps (remember, we live in the age of convenience and even cloth diapering has not escaped its reaches - the price you pay is essentially indicative of the level of 'skill' required to use the diaper). 

Here is another way to approach it: think of cloth diapering as buying a house. A two-bedroom, one bath will suit your family just fine. But sometimes it is nice to have that second bathroom, office space or additional square footage. Buy what suits both your family's needs and budget the best. And do not think you are locked in to a diaper once you have purchased it. Just like you can eventually build a shed or remodel that kitchen, you can modify your diapers to fit your needs. For, as I mentioned earlier, cloth diapering is an investment. There is a booming resale market for cloth diapers. Depending on wear and tear, I estimate most families can recoup anywhere from 25% to 70% of their upfront diapering costs. How many disposable users can say the same? 

Lastly, here is a great cost calculator if you interested in comparing apples to apples while shopping for diapers. 

The Environment

In addition to the money you save with cloth, consider the landfill space you will save not contributing roughly 6,000 diapers (again, per child!) to these earthly time capsules. No one yet fully knows how long it takes a disposable diaper to compose, but the estimates range from 250 to 500 years. (4)

With the recent oil spill, consider this - 'Nearly 3.5 billion gallons of oil are used to produce the 18 billion throwaway diapers that Americans toss each year. To put that in perspective, that's more than the amount of crude we import annually from Kuwait.' If that number does not scare you - did you know that it takes at least 2/3 cup of oil to make just one disposable diaper? (5)

For a thorough discussion of the environmental aspect of disposable diapers, please click here (see heading 'Environment'). 

The Health of Baby

Finally, consider the contents of a typical disposable diaper - among other things - Dioxin (a carcinogenic chemical banned in most countries and listed by the EPA as the most toxic of all cancer-causing chemicals) and Tributyl-tin (a toxic pollutant known to cause hormonal problems). Finally, sitting in a plastic diaper has been known to raise the scrotal temperatures in boys and 'prolonged use of disposable diapers will blunt or completely abolish the physiological testicular cooling mechanism important for spermatogenesis' (similar to warnings against prolonged laptop computers on laps of young men or prolonged hot tub exposure). (6) 

In addition to these three main factors, there are also other reasons to choose cloth - potty training is usually easier and happens sooner, cloth diapers are so darn cute and last but not least - no more late-night trips to buy diapers at the convenience store! 

Sources:

(1) http://www.realdiaperassociation.org/diaperfacts.php 'Cost'

(2) http://www.punkinbutt.com/diaper_dollar.php

(3) http://www.diaperdecisions.com/cost_of_cloth_diapers.htm

(4) http://www.realdiaperassociation.org/diaperfacts.php

(5) http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jennifer-grayson/eco-etiquette-how-can-i-c_b_572807.html

(6) http://www.realdiaperassociation.org/diaperfacts.php