If I can’t get enough sleep, I can at least conserve energy elsewhere…
Since we here at The Carroll Household have been working to be kinder to the world we live in, I’ve talked to you about the walk that inspired this, the challenge I issued, our neighborhood clean-up, our switch to cloth diapers, and the cleaners we use around the house.
There are also several easy things you can do to save energy in your home on a day-to-day basis. Here are some of the things we do…
Adjust the thermostat. In the winter, we try to keep the thermostat between 64-68. It’s actually comfortable, and if you feel chilly, you can always warm up with sweaters, blankets, and warm liquids. Or with, um… fun activities. 
When we’re sleeping (or away from home) we drop the temperature even lower. At night we can just snuggle up with blankets and each other – which is fun! And because these drops last 8 hours or more, we save 5-15% on heating costs a year!
And remember, fireplaces might be sexy, but they are generally big, fat energy wasters, so only use them on occasion.
In the summer, we try to keep the thermostat between 75-78. Dressing appropriately for the season helps - yes, that means shorts, no matter how much you hate shaving or how badly your white, clammy skin blinds others who live with you.
We also use fans to offset cooling costs (by making us more comfortable with higher thermostat settings). Ceiling fans and oscillating room fans use far less energy than your Whole-Home Cooling System, and will help it have work less often. The fans will create a breeze you can feel to make it more comfortable to have the thermostat set at a higher setting. Make sure you only have them on in rooms where there are people (or you’re wasting money).
Window fans can also be used when the weather outside accomodates. If it’s cooler outside than in, use dual fans to pull cool air in one window and push hot air out another. This works especially well in 2 story homes (pull cool air into downstairs windows and suck hot air out upstairs windows). Just make sure to turn your HVAC System off.
A really excellent thing we’ve done is to replace incandescent lightbulbs with compact fluorescent lightbulbs. They use about 75% less energy and last 10 times longer! They also produce far less heat, which in turn will save you on cooling costs in the summer.
They do cost more than regular bulbs, but the savings in electricity over time will pay for the bulbs, and then some. They are available all over the place – so shop around and make notes to find the best price before you buy. I purchased mine at Walmart, but you can buy them at Target, Lowes, Home Depot, and even online.
It’s such an easy change to make with such huge energy savings and eco-friendly outcomes that you’d be nuts not to do it.
“What that means is that if every one of 110 million American households bought just one ice-cream-cone bulb [CFL], took it home, and screwed it in the place of an ordinary 60-watt bulb, the energy saved would be enough to power a city of 1.5 million people. One bulb swapped out, enough electricity saved to power all the homes in Delaware and Rhode Island. In terms of oil not burned, or greenhouse gases not exhausted into the atmosphere, one bulb is equivalent to taking 1.3 million cars off the roads.” -Source: FastCompany.Com
I challenge all of you – if you haven’t already done so – to change at least one of your incandescent bulbs to a CFL. And the more, the better!
Learn more about CFLs, including how to dispose of them properly.
Another thing we’ve gotten really strict about is use of light - if we don’t really need it, we don’t turn it on. When we’re done with it, we turn it off.
We all know that we should turn off the lights when we leave a room, but it’s really easy to get in the bad habit of just walking out. Remind yourself to hit that switch! Another bad habit? Turning on lights you don’t even really need. If it’s daytime and you have windows, open up the curtains/blinds and use the free sunlight!
If you really start making a conscious effort, you can get rid of energy waste and reduce your electric bills this way. And hey, here’s your chance to feel like “real adults!” Practice barking at your kids/roommates/cat/fish, “Turn off the lights or get a job!” (Second only to, “Close the refridgerator – what are you trying to do, cool the whole house with it?!”)
Of course, lights aren’t the only things that waste electricity due to our habitual waste behaviors. How many times have you walked away from a TV or stereo that was on? Do you stand with the refridgerator door open for unneccesary amounts of time? (See above exclamation.) Do you leave doors and windows open when the HVAC System is running? (In this case, you’re trying to heat/cool the whole neighborhood, obviously. *crosses arms, cocks head and raises brow*)
Again, when you start really tuning in to these types of behavior, you’ll be surprised at the energy you waste, and you’ll be able to start changing those bad habits.
And though it seems petty, unplug things you won’t use for awhile. If it has a plug and you leave it in the outlet, it will drain electricity whether it’s “on” or not! It may only be a small amount, but everything adds up over time. Remember, small steps make a big difference in the long run. So unplug your phone charger when it’s not in use. Look around and see if you can spot things you only use on occasion, like maybe a bread maker, juicer or blender. Unplug!
We’ve had some not too fun times with water heaters, so we’re very aware of them now. Watch that hot water! Set your water heater to no higher than 120degrees. Not only will this prevent scalding accidents (a MUST if you have children), but it will save you money. Water used in your dishwasher and clothes washing machine doesn’t need to be any hotter than that to disinfect and clean, but if it is, you’re paying extra for it. So make sure that either you (if you know what you’re doing) or a handyman sets your water heater to no higher than 120.
These are really only a few of the things you can do to save energy at home. There are many more that can be done.
Do you think you’ll adopt any of these good habits?
What do you do that I’ve not mentioned here?
I just won’t shut up about it, I know.
Yup, it’s another long one, folks.
While I was writing this post the other day, my thoughts kept reaching further and expanding and dividing and growing.
I want to take a moment, first, to make sure you all realize that I did not mean to put down working parents at all. What they do is just as much their decision about what is right for them/their families as the choice to stay at home is my decision about what is right for myself, Braden, and John, and I really respect that. Hell, sometimes it’s not even their “choice” so much as they just have to do it. What I really wanted to get across in that post was the point that I wish we could sing Kumbaya and just support one another as parents, no matter what the shape of our lives is (or even WHY our lives are that particular shape).
I saw this point made excellently by Miss Britt’s Mother when she said,
“Having been both, I can tell you that SAHM’s suffer pangs of guilt and envy – whether they admit or not – because they’re not “contributing” financially to their families and their lives are “boring” – while working moms experience the agonies of the damned because they “don’t spend enough time” with their kids or “put their kids first”.
What would be better would be for PARENTS to have more compassion for each other, and respect for each other’s decisions for what works in THEIR lives, without justifying those decisions, without bashing the decisions of others.”
(By the way, I just found Miss Britt’s site recently, and if you haven’t read her yet, you really should – she is damn delightful – funny, intelligent, well-written, and real.)
When I read the above quote, I felt like I was nodding my proverbial head so freakin’ hard that it was going to fall off and roll across the room. Because it strikes to the heart of the matter about us all picking and bitching about one another’s choices.
That being said, I wanted to expand on something that hit my brain while I was writing that other post.
In talking about how I may discuss “Mommy” things endlessly here, and kind of defending that, I was also talking about how I am not “just” a mommy. But I started thinking about the women out there who really do define themselves as Moms first and foremost, and care about little else. And I was wondering, why, exactly, do we demonize them for that?
For the record, I do think it is very healthy to have interests in your life that do not involve your spouse or your children. My amateur photography is such a thing for me, and while I definitely take photos of my kid and hubby, it’s not really about them, and I take tons of other photos. And while I post on my website primarily about my family (but not exclusively) the exercise of writing all of this is really for me. (With the added benefit of it all becoming a catalogue of our lives.) I also write poetry and prose in my free time (hahaha, free time, I know) but I don’t share those things, generally. Just a creative outlet. It’s nice to have hobbies and activities that you enjoy to engage in. I feel that it is energizing and fulfilling to leave your house without your children or husband occasionally and do things that you enjoy.
BUT.
I see/hear people refer to women who are “mothers and nothing else” occassionally. And it’s a completely negative tone they are taking when they make that reference. These types of statements usually lead to a stream of insults of those women, and their decisions - complete, judgemental BS about what these people have chosen to do with their lives.
To illustrate why I find this ridiculous, would you say, “She’s just a lawyer. She is totally obsessed with being a really good one, and she doesn’t make time for anything else. Isn’t that just sick?” Probably not. Being a lawyer is something we accept as having an occupation one should be driven to completely master and immerse oneself in. Being a Mommy is often looked at as just this thing we do to keep the species alive (anyone can pop out offspring, right?). Don’t you dare consider it something you must master and immerse yourself in! That’s just sick!
I wanted to say that if there are women out there who choose to identify completely with being a mother, and that is the life that they feel happy living (I think that part is key here), who are any of us to judge them as not having a “real identity?” Mommies who spend “too much” time thinking about their children are just missing out on being well-rounded women, no? They must have it all wrong because they are not living the same lives as others, right? How completely ignorant is that way of thinking, would you say?
If there are women who feel they were born to be “Mommies,” and consequently throw themselves into fulfilling that destiny passionately and completely, do we think they are wasting their time? Do we label them a shell of a person? When their kids grow up, they won’t know what to do with themselves, right?
You wouldn’t say that if I replaced the word “Mommies” with “Teachers,” “Doctors,” or “Chefs.” But, um, these would all retire at some point, too, and have to “figure out what to do with themselves,” right? What’s the difference really, other than monetary payoff?
When a Teacher, Doctor, or Chef retires, we typcially think of them as having time to themselves to pursue some other activity that they may have always wanted to pursue, right? Maybe they travel, learn to play the tuba, or take a pottery class. Whatever. We don’t typically think of them fretting and becoming a complete wreck of a person because all their students, patients, or patrons are “gone.”
When a Mother’s children leave the nest, she may well say, “Well, that station in my life has ended, and I did a damn good job! I am fackin’ proud of what I accomplished, and while I may, at times, miss actively being a Mommy, I have so many excellent memories. Now, I’m going to insert new interest, goal, achievement, desire, hobby, or life’s dream.”
Besides, there are always grandkids, right? And that’s where the real fun starts, isn’t it, ladies?
So, how about we drink up a dose of respecting the choices others make, even if they’re not the right ones for us? I know I’ve had to do that plenty of times in my life – and, like real medicine, it doesn’t always taste so great, but it will do you good.
We all have the capacity to adapt – to grow and change. Let’s all remember that.
Scrubba Dub Dub!
It’s that time o’ the month again… no, not time to whip out your “WOMEN’S PADS!” Rather, it’s time to talk about the positive changes we’re making in our lives that will benefit us and our planet!
I wanted to mention that we are still loving the BumGenius diapers that I talked about in my last PSBN post. They really are great, and not difficult to keep up with at all. Yay for Cloth Booties!
This month, I want to talk about Household Cleaning Products. Yes, I do actually clean house sometimes. SOMETIMES.
This is not so much a change in our lives, but a bit of a review of what we do, and a revitalization for us. What I mean by that is that for years, we have used Melaleuca EcoSense cleaning products.
Here you see the EcoSense All Purpose Spray (Tough ‘N Tender) and Window Cleaner (Clear Power).
They are free of the yuckies and are environmentally friendly. They work well, but, and this might seem dumb, I dislike the smell of them. But like I said, they work well, and that’s the point of a cleaner. Unfortunately, they are relatively expensive. If you become a member, you get a reduced price on the products – but you have to sign an agreement to spend a certain amount each month (if you don’t order, they’ll charge your card and send you the “auto-order”). We got a bit tired of that, especially after Braden was born and $$ got tight, so we cancelled our membership. Luckily (?) we had over-ordered the things we use to satisfy our monthy requirement, so we had product to use for awhile. (We also used/use their Tub & Tile Cleaner, Bathroom Disinfectant, Heavy Duty Cleaner, and Laundry Cleaning Products.)
But what to do when it runs out?
A little over a month ago, I saw an Ad in a popular parenting magazine for a new line of products from Clorox that are supposed to be “green.” The article made the Clorox Green Works cleaners sound like a good try.
A few weeks later, I spotted them at Walmart and I happily purchased these:
And to cut down on Paper Towel Usage (Less Tree Killing = More Happy Thoughts!), I’m using these:
I used the cleaners that day and that evening to clean things in the kitchen, and I just want to say…
THEY ROCK.
Seriously, I was very happy with the performance of both the All Purpose Spray and the Window Cleaner.
AND – they smell REALLY GOOD. They are made with coconut and lemon essences, and the smell that lingers after you clean is incredibly pleasant.
What’s more, they are not expensive, unlike some other Eco-Friendly Cleaners I’ve seen on the market. At Walmart, they were competitively priced with other name-brand cleaning products. (Generic brands were cheaper.)
I literally, actually feel happy to be cleaning in my kitchen now, and I HATE CLEANING. (Note how low the liquid level is in the All Purpose Cleaner.)
Because I was so happy with the performance of the first two purchases, I also picked up the Green Works Natural Bathroom Cleaner, Natural Toilet Bowl Cleaner, and Natural Dilutable Cleaner (floor mopping, etc).
Our house smells like a fruity, adult beverage. I’m thinking I should start wearing a hula skirt when I mop the floors. And make John buy a ukelele.
In addition to the Green Works cleaners, we have started using an Earth-Friendly dish-washer detergent by Seventh Generation. I have heard really great things about that line, but I’ve always hesitated purchasing anything because it’s quite expensive.
(Seriously, do you know how many times I’ve had their baby-wipes in my hands and ended up putting them back because I just couldn’t take the idea of spending three times as much on them? *cries*)
Anyway, the other stuff we’ve been putting in our dish-washer is Earth-Ugly for sure. So we decided to try it.
I have to admit, I was a bit scared. Luckily, it was all for naught – the stuff works wonderfully. If I can ever get over the sticker shock I may try some of the other Seventh Generation products. (PS: You can sign up at their website and get access to coupons.) 
For hand dish-washing, we still use from our surplus supply of EcoSense Lemon Brite. It works excellently, smells nice, and it’s super Eco-Friendly (no phosphates, all biodegradable).
Incidentally, we also use the Melaleuca Shampoo (haven’t run out yet) and used to use the Melaleuca Body Wash. I have to say that the Body Wash is the thing I miss the most about our membership there! At least I still have The Gold Bar – nice, strong citrus scent.
If you have the means, I actually recommend a Melaleuca membership. The products are pretty sweet.
So, that’s our cleaning arsenal – some Melaleuca EcoSense, Clorox Green Works, and Seventh Generation.
I’ve heard that Method Cleaners work well, too, but we haven’t tried any here yet. I have used the hand-soap elsewhere, and I liked it. I was eyeing the Cleaning Wipes the other day, but got a little peeved that I couldn’t find ingredients on the label. Instead, they just say something smartass like, “Why do they work so well? Something tells us we shouldn’t be printing our proprietary formula right on our product label.” Haha. The ingredients are listed on the website, though. Maybe I’ll go back for them.
So, peeps, what ”Green” tips and changes do you have to talk about? Link in!
More info about Project Support Beauty in Nature
I guess what I’m saying is, can’t we all just get along, bitches?
Sometimes, when I’m surfing around Ye Olde Blog World, I notice, here and there, some rather harsh words relating to the whole “Mommy Blogger” Trend. The harshness seems to be multiplied when referring specifically to the Stay-At-Home breed of MB’s.
I try not to get offended. It ain’t easy, because:
1) I’m stupidly sensitive and ridiculously, pathetically easy to hurt.
2) Ack. I’m a “Mommy Blogger” (the SAHM breed), and those rude comments? Could be directed at me, easily.
(I realize that they are not, but I’m into taking things personally. It’s part of my Mental Issues thing.)
It’s funny. (You know, not funny-ha-ha, and not funny-queer, but funny-f’ed up.) I see people say things out there like how if you stay home all the time with your kid(s), you aren’t a “real person” with your own identity. Or maybe they mention that if you talk about your kids every day, or even quite often (especially if you talk about their fecal habits or post “inappropriate” photos of them), you are clearly vacuous.
[Oops. I happen to talk about my kid's fecal habits. And I'll mention now, some people have told me that my photos of Braden are inappropriate, and should not be posted all over the Internet for "pedophiles to drool over." Rather, they should be kept private. (Thanks for your opinion!)]
Further? It seems that there’s a group of people out there, for whom, just saying, “Oh, that’s just not for me,” is not enough to get their feelings across on the whole matter. For some reason, there is a need to actually flame “Mommy Bloggers,” and to put them down in an extremely derogatory fashion. I’ve seen comments out there like, “Mommys make me sick and wouldn’t go near one of their blogs with a ten foot pole.” Wow, alrighty.
I want to point out that I quite understand that no one will like every type of website. I mean, I’m not hittin’ up the Automotive Blogs every day, because I just don’t care for them. Besides, who has time for Automotive Blogs when you surf as much Asian Porn as I do?
But I digress.
My point here is, you don’t like something, cooool, but there’s this condescending, derogatory undertone I’m noticing; this sense that talking about your kid(s) often is just completely intolerable. As in, you know, it would make you sick to have to read that. As if it were all about bashing in the heads of bunnies with a mallot, or extolling the virtues of Martha Stewart’s Towel Line at JCPenny. I mean, THAT I could see throwing up over.
Sometimes, the indication is even that if the SAHM would just get a job and do more outside of the home then they could be considered to be an actual, intelligent woman with a life. Someone with a brain. WTH, people? Have we taken such a huge step backward as women – hell, as people - that we can’t just SUPPORT ONE ANOTHER no matter what our decisions in life are?
So, here I sit, feeling stupidly offended and ridiculously, pathetically hurt.
**Not asking anyone to come to my rescue. There is no “troll” to hunt down, no bashing to be done. Let us not form a mob today. (We’ll save the pitchforks and fire for another day, eh?)
I just want to “talk” about this for a minute. And maybe “listen” to you guys have some intelligent discourse on the matter when I’m done.
Pretty please?
See, on a personal note, the thing is this:
This is a season in my life. I have, in my short 31 years, already been through a variety of phases and stations in life. I have occupied many different roles, and continue to do so today.
My opinions, feelings, beliefs, and values have changed over time, and also continue to do so (maybe I’m just a flake!)
I’ve been the Curious Kid, the Ambitious Pre-Teen, the Angst-Filled Teenager, the Party-Hardy Young Adult.
I’ve been a Slacker, Driven College Student, Hopeful Graduate Researcher, Disillusioned Degree Seeker.
I’ve been an Ice Cream Scooper, Weight-Loss Trainer, Milk-Shake Maker, University TA (Teacher), Retail Temp Worker, the Manager of an Upscale Store.
I’m a High School Graduate, College Graduate (BA), and Grad School Graduate (MA).
I’ve been Drama Club Dork, Band Geek, Phi-Kapp-Phi, Psi Chi.
I was Magna Cum Laude. And I will still laugh at the middle part of that.
I’ve been a Daughter, Sister, Best Friend, Jerk, Worst Enemy, Girlfriend, Cheater, Ex-Girlfriend, Mistress, Betrayed Wreck, Lost Soul, Fiancee, and Wife.
Now I’m a Momma, Mommy, Mother, Mom.
I’m a Woman. A Person.
I’ve been an Atheist, Agnostic, Christian, Other.
I have FREAKED OUT on people. I have held my tongue and moved on.
I’ve been a Thief.
I’ll even admit to having been, to some degree, no matter how small, Racist, Sexist, Homophobic, Righteous. (Feel free to throw stones. Just make sure to step out of your glass house first.)
I’ve also been Moral, Just, Tolerant, Humble, Meek.
I’ve Wronged, Grudged, Apologized, Forgiven and Been Forgiven.
I’ve learned and grown and changed and loved. I laughed, cried, rejoiced, wanted to die, and just been mellow.
I’ve regretted, hoped, wished, and planned.
I’ve done wrong and I’ve worked to make things right.
I’ve been compassionate after being judgemental, and understanding after being intolerant.
I’m a Woman. A Person.
I used my heart, body, and mind (BRAIN) all the way from there to here.
Now is when I have a website where I talk about my current station in life, and the experiences related to that. Now I happen to be a mother who is not gainfully employed outside of the home (label me whatever you want – “Mommy Blogger,” SAHM, Ignorant Loser, PunkAssBitch – whatevs).
I will talk about my child. Often. Shit is an experience I’ve had with him. I’ll talk about it. I’ll also say lovey-dovey, sickly sweet and annoying things about my feelings for him. I will post photos of him that I think celebrate his beauty, without worrying who lives down the street from me or what “weirdos” are viewing this website online, because that’s not how I live my LIFE.
Others will judge. So be it.
When I started this website, I didn’t even know about the whole “Mommy Blogger” thing. While I had recently discovered her blog and loved it to pieces, I didn’t know that Dooce had planted a seed that blew up like gang-f’in-busters and that fifty-gagillion other moms decided to write about theirs lives and kids, too, as I was embarking on just that enterprise.
I just want to talk about what floats my boat right now, ya dig? I want a creative outlet where I can celebrate exactly who I am right now (and maybe talk about who I used to be, and who I might become, too!). I want to create a history of this time in our lives for my family. I’m a mother, and I’m not ashamed that I stay at home and devote my time here. For now, it is what I choose to do, and I am lucky to have that choice. Later, it may all change. Let’s see where life continues to go, right?
Incidentally, I use this website to broaden my horizons and practice other interests I have, such as writing and photography. And, of course, I have other hobbies and interests that I’ve never even mentioned here. But, alas, when they pick apart the “Mommy,” they judge with slanted eyes while viewing just a slice of life. Just the portion you’ve had time to tell.
Like I said, it may be a little ridiculous that I am even offended. I don’t feel that I fit the derogatory “definition” I see out there of the so-called “loser Mommy” who “has no life outside her children.” And yet, somehow, I feel that perhaps many women are being crammed into that category just because The Crammers are in short supply of actual facts, and in a hurry to judge those who have chosen a different path than their own.
Do not assume that I do not have a brain or that I am not a real person with a real identity just because of this station in my life, or just because I rejoice in and focus on things that are different than those which you rejoice in and focus on.
And I will not assume just as rude, ignorant, and short-sighted things about you.
Deal?
His Butt is Toxic, and Yet, Eco-Friendly!
We did a handful of things differently this month to be kind to Mother Earth, but this month’s big “Green” effort was really exciting for us: we decided to take the Cloth Diapering Plunge!
Braden’s gone “Clean And Green.” 
Disposable are NASTY.
One child produces large amounts of them, daily – It is estimated that children using disposables create almost 6,000 during their diaper-wearing years. And those will sit in a landfill for an estimated 250-500 years. That is DISGUSTING. And have you seen the icky, jelly crap inside them? I’ve had them bust open on us (not often, but it happens) and it’s really pukish when I think about how that Yuckification in there was always up against my kiddo’s little, soft hiney. I’m sure it contributed to his rashiness.
Ever since last month’s PSBN post and all the excellent advice from you guys, I dove in and did some hard-core research online about cloth diapers. This site is a great resourse (but you can find lots out there). I didn’t really want to spend the big bucks, but I knew I HAD to find something that John and I would stick with. Let’s be realistic here: If you can’t hack it, you’ll give up on it. We didn’t want to give up on it! I tried really hard to want to use the cheapest option: prefolds. But. Just. No. (Forgive me, I know so many of you have done/do this, but it just isn’t for us.)
All the “fitted” diapers seemed so great, but buying new sizes constantly would really get expensive! Yeah, Braden is on the last leg of his “Diaper Journey” but we wanted to invest in something that we can use again with additional kiddos we have (imagine that, we want this to be an Earth Saving AND Money Saving venture!)…
Enter the 3.0 Bum Genius One Size Cloth Diaper.
*big sigh*
Yes. They are expensive. You look at the price of a single diaper and you go OHHOLYCRAPANDCRACKERSTHAT’SWHATIPAYFORAWHOLEBOXOFDISPOSABLESEEEEEK!
BUT.
Work out how much you spend on them for your child’s entire “Diaper Journey,” and you’ll see that you’re just hemorrhaging the cash slowly instead of all at once, and the disposables will end up costing you WAY more in the long run than even the expensive cloth diapers, yo!
UPDATED:
Maybe this will help you see why you’re NOT spending more when you use even the “expensive” cloth diapers:
If your kid wears disposables until age 2 (and most wear them longer, FYI) that will produce an estimated 5800-6000 diapers. This is going to cost you approximately $1000 – $1600 (depending on brand). Yup. And I didn’t even include the price of wipes or butt rash cream – that’s extra, my friends! And if the kiddo goes past age 2, you can just keep adding to that price. For about $400 you can purchase 24 (more than enough at any age!) of the “expensive” Bum Genius 3.0 One Size (the newest one available) and you can use them on an endless number of children.
So, this means:
Have 3 kids? Disposables until 2: $3000 – $4800 (depending on brand). BG One Size: $400 (plus laundry costs).
And don’t forget to add wipes, creams, and anything past age 2 to that disposables price.
Do you still think it costs too much?
So I did a little of my own math. I figured out how much we’d spend from now until Braden turns 2 on the disposables we were currently using (Walmart brand, so they are cheap). And I decided that if I can spend that much or less, it would be economically logical as well as YAY for Mother Earth.
And guess what? I spent exactly that much on 9 Bum Genius One Size diapers/inserts (will fit from newborn up to a 37 pounder),
2 Hemp Babies inserts (extra absorbency for nights)
and a Mini-Shower (if you cloth diaper, you want this, seriously – thanks for the tip, Heather!) to spray out The Dook.
Which means that in the $ department, IF Braden would be Potty Trained by 2 (which I think is a nice, hopeful assumption) then we break even. If it takes him longer, we save! Hurrah!
Now, if you consider the fact that we can use these with the next child(ren), that’s where we REALLY save $$. We’ll need to purchase extras to handle the excessive Poopification during the beginning of life, but we’ll still save boatloads over using disposables. And we’ll never contribute another 500 Year JellyPissShitSack Diaper to the landfills!
*Does an insanely happy dance of JOY!*
“But Lotus, you are totally spending more in laundry!” Yes, yes, I am, My Kind, Loving Reader. But check it: We’re cutting water usage elsewhere to help with that a bit.
Here’s how:
We took Sandy’s really great tip, and we bought a bucket to collect the cold water that we used to waste at the beginning of the shower. (You know, when you’re waiting for it to warm up?)
Now we use that water for other things like refilling our aquariums and putting into Braden’s humidifier when he’s got a cold. It can also be used to water plants and the garden, mop floors, clean appliances, etc. How cool!
Next:
“If it’s yellow, let it mellow. If it’s brown, flush it down.”
Yup. We’ve severely reduced the number of flushes in our home.
I’ll spare you the photo evidence on this one. And that’s really unlike me, you know, to pass up the chance to flash something excretory at you. (If that’s not a word, it is now.)
Things we’ve already done in the past that help: no water running while teeth brushing or hand washing, use hand sanitizier in place of washing if your hands aren’t grimy, but just need disinfecting, and restrict the length of showers and the size of baths.
A few “technical” notes about using Bum Genius One Size:
Care Instructions (click it) You will want to follow these to make sure the diaper never leaks. The material is really great – the fleece lining truly wicks the moisture away and into the absorbent liner inside.
It’s freakin’ amazing. But you have to treat it nice so it keeps performing! We already used Purex Free and Clear for laundry, and that’s approved. You should read all the care instructions before you buy – if you’re not willing to follow them, you should probably go with something else.
They’ll “Grow With Kiddo.” They come with newborn size diaper doubler and regular insert, and have cool snaps to change the size as your lil’ one grows. I am so excited to use them exclusively on our next baby.
There will be a learning curve when changing from disposables, but it really hasn’t been bad! You have to get used to how to insert the liners without bunching them, but you’ll get into the groove of it after some practice.
We got the Hemp Babies inserts for nighttime because Braden needs extra absorbency overnight.
I did my research and they were highly recommended. They did not disappoint. We just add one in at night on top of the regular insert. He has only leaked out at night once so far, which is excellent!
And, did you notice… They are freakin’ adorable!
It has been a really exciting month for us with this change! And we have lots of other things up our sleeves – some that we’ve already started doing, and some that we are planning for the future. But this is it for this month’s installment. Stay tuned for next month, my pretties! We have so much more in store. 
Next post is scheduled for Monday, April 14, 2008.
Now link up with your monthly posts, and visit other participants! I can’t wait to read what you’ve got for us.
More info about Project Support Beauty in Nature
Carroll Community Cleanup
The First Installment of Project Support Beauty in Nature!
For those of you who haven’t read this post or this post, a bit of background.
(but please don’t hesitate to actually click over to them and view the photos they contain)
Back on January 25th, I was feeling like a microwaved poop (smelly, hot, and a bit crusty), so I decided to go for a walk through my neighborhood. Instead of meeting Mr. Rogers and making a new friend, I kept running into disgusting examples of the way humans befowl the earth with their dreck – litter.
It made me angry and it made me think a lot about what other people do… and what I do and don’t do. And what I should be doing.
I decided that evening that my family would go on a “clean-up” walk the next week and pick up litter in our neighborhood, and I challenged everyone else to do something to help Support Beauty in Nature, and blog about it today, or to post about something they already did/do/plan to do.
We went for that walk on January 30th. It was quite cold, but sunny.
There was no shortage of crap for us to stick into our bags.
Braden wasn’t entirely sure what was going on, so he pitched in by screaming every time his wagon ride paused briefly. At least he was witnessing us doing something good.
He was, however, a bit annoyed with us by the end of the walk.
But we’re hoping that by doing these types of things periodically, with him, as he grows, he’ll eventually get the message.
This Earth is a gift. We’re squandering it. There is so much beauty. We’re covering it in crap. It doesn’t have to be this way – we can do things like this regularly to help push the reset button, so to speak. And it DOES make a difference.
Of course, the way you live your daily life will also make a great impact. John and I have recycled in the past, but since moving to TN, had not gotten our recycle on, for various reasons (all of them lame, btw). This whole thing made me realize that we’ve been lazy buttholes. We have now purchased extra trash bins for our home so that we can separate out the different recyclable things (glass, paper, aluminum, etc) from the regular trash. We have also ordered a curbside dumpster so that our recyclables can be picked up by the city.
YAY, RECYCLING!
If you don’t already recycle, check your local government website and see what programs are available in your area. It might be way easier than you think!We currently recycle our plastic grocery bags as garbage bags in our house, including diaper garbage, so at least we’re using them more than once. But I think we can improve on the two behaviors I just mentioned…
First: I’m really interested in getting some reusable grocery bags. I know that at least one of PSBN’s participants (Julie) is going to talk about those types of bags, so I’m eager to see her post!
Second: I’m actually really interested in learning more about cloth diapers and what my options are. I’m in the process of researching the different types, and trying to figure out whether the water/energy spent laundering will be worth the reduction in waste that would result from switching.
Maybe someone did a post on this??? (I know you cloth diapered, Heather! Share the knowledge!)
I’ve been checking out this website.
Still pondering it all…
But look at this super-cute diaper cover!
Another cool tip given to me by a reader named Elsie was that she made bags out of tulle for her fruits/veggies so that she wouldn’t have to use those plastic bags at the grocery store anymore! I LOVED this idea.
I did a little looking into it and I found these instructions on how to make them. If you (like me) don’t have a sewing machine you can also buy them here. I’m getting some – I think they’re fabulous!
We’re also de-junking our bodies here at The Carroll Household. We’re going back to the way we used to eat – healthy! This means we remember to take our vitamins, we eat whole foods (bye-bye loads of processed crizznap!), and drink lots of water.
Part of this will involve us trying to purchase organic foods when possible. Unfortunately we can’t afford to buy everything organic, but every little bit helps. The more organic you eat, the less CRUD you’re putting in your body… and ON THE EARTH! I also got a tip recently from Laura that switching to organic milk made her feel better, and I thought that was a good idea, so we’re doing that, as well.
Basically, John & I have a new motto: “Less Crud.” Less Crud in our bodies and on the earth.
My heart is bursting with an insanely (childish?) idealistic, wonderfully giddy happiness at making a difference. I can’t tell you how excited I am to read your posts… to see what you’ve done, and to learn from you all.
If you’ve written a post, link up below!
If you haven’t posted your story/tips/ideas on how we can Support Beauty in Nature, it’s not too late. Feel free to do a post anytime this week and come back here to link up.
Even if you aren’t posting anything – make sure to visit those who do. See how they make a difference and look for ideas!
I’m off to hug a frickin’ tree!
First, I totally bore you with the medical stuff… then, Pee Pee!
Several kind readers have been asking me about how my appointment with the Endocrinologist went on Jan.28.
(For links on the back story, visit here, here, here and here. I have Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis, and have been experiencing Clinical Depression for some time.)
This post will probably be very long, and probably not all that funny. I know some of you come here for your funny. If you stick with me while I’m playing Debbie Downer today, I’ll give you some funny at the end. Promise. Okay?
Okay.
The actual Endo visit was like this:
Got there, signed in, sat down. Read book. Suddenly wanted to cry. Had no idea WHY. Unable to keep reading. Closed eyes and put head against wall. Receptionist asked if I was okay. I nodded yes.
Then I started crying.
I couldn’t stop it from happening. I didn’t know why I was even doing it. It.was.so.embarrassing.
They took me back to the exam room early because they felt sorry for me. Nice, really. But damn, did I feel stupid.
Nurse: “Are you okay? What’s wrong?”
Me: “No. Uh… I don’t know?”
Ugh.
The doctor was very kind. She was compassionate, reassuring, attentive, and never rushed me. She explained that I need another ultrasound of the thyroid since it has been 3 years since the last, and I may have developed cancerous nodules during that time. We also agreed on a 3 month cycle for my blood test check ups. Ongoing monitoring is necessary because the status of the disease can change at any time, and can ostensibly be life-threatening.
She indicated that the symptoms of hypothyroidism that I’m experiencing are also the symptoms of clinical depression (you don’t say?) and that if my hormone levels are normal (they were in December) that it is likely that is my problem, as per those symptoms. She said I would need to see a Primary Care Physician to address that. (Like I can afford it, but oh well.)
Before I left the office, I gave more blood. She wanted to make sure there had been no change since the blood tests from December. The results arrived a couple of days ago. My thyroid antibodies are insanely high (you can read about that in one of the above linked posts) but the hormone is “normal.” So no treatment for me from the Endo.
And if I want to get treatment for the Depression, I’m being handed off to yet another doctor, along with another visit fee, plus any other fees for tests and treatment. The bills are already crushing us, and so far, since being diagnosed with the Hashimoto’s back in early 2005, I have received NO treatment that would improve my symptoms. NOT ONCE.
Rewind: When I got home from the appointment on Monday, I decided to continue on some research I’ve been doing lately concerning the link between depression and birth control pills. It can get confusing wading through all that’s out there, but the thrust of it is this: there is a link between depression and birth control pills. Many women report feeling symptoms of depression while on The Pill.
Recently, Veronica told me that when she was on triphasic birth control she “got horribly depressed,” and has “felt miles better since [she] stopped the pill.” Similarly, Jill told me, “it [birth control] drained my energy and stole my libido.”
The progestin contained in the pills is thought to aggravate depression in women who already have it, or trigger it in those who are sensitive/prone to it. In combination pills (estrogen/progestin) the estrogen is said to balance out the negative effect of the progestin. However, again, women who are sensitive to it may still be affected by the progestin ingested.
My own experience, now that I can look back at my past history, has been that while taking a combined pill called Triphasil, I suffer low levels of depression (somewhat manageable), but on Ortho-Tri-Cyclen (what I was on years ago, and then again this year) I suffer incredible depression, including, but certainly not limited to: physical pain in back and neck, extreme fatigue, mood swings, numb/flat affect, irritability, sadness, and loss of libido.
It should be no surprise to learn that, though both pills are triphasic, combination pills (varying levels throughout the month of both estrogen and progestin), The Ortho-Tri-Cyclen will deliver two and a half times the amount of progestin in 3 weeks use as will the Triphasil. [source]
That’s Two And A Half Times the ingredient which can aggravate/trigger depression in many women.
Not a single doctor I have ever visited suggested this as my problem. Not once, in the 13 years I have taken birth control pill. Not once in the very many times I have complained about depression, fatigue, and pain to many different doctors who all knew I was on The Pill.
(Incidentally, both the types of BC I have taken are on the low side for progestin doses, when compared to the many other types of BC, but because I am obviously sensitive to it, that was enough to cause an imbalance for me.)
There has also been recent research detailing the loss of libido for women who take the pill, including a warning of long-term damage. In one study, women who had been taking The Pill for some time had 4 times the amount of SHBG (sex-hormone-binding globulin) in their bodies as did women who had never taken the pill. Hello, depleted libido! Even after 120 days off the pill, these women still had twice as much SHBG in their bodies ad did those who had never taken The Pill. While this is somewhat depressing itself, as it shows that there can be long-term damage to the libido… it also means that some amount of healing can occur over time! YAY!
Last Monday, feeling unhelped by a series of doctors, and without the money to keep visiting more, I did my research on birth control. I talked to John about what I had found so far, and we agreed that it was enough information to prompt me to stop taking birth control to see what happens. After all, things have been very, very much “not good” around here for the past several months.
I try to be frank and honest with you all always, but I talk about the tip of the iceberg here – I don’t like to drag you down with the specifics of the pain I (and my family) endure because I am mentally ill. But do a little reading about Clinical Depression on your own, and you will see that it can be a very frustrating, very ugly thing.
So. I stopped taking The Pill Monday, January 28th. It will probably take some time for me to know for sure whether this is really going to help, or whether I will still need medication. But I can give you a positive report so far. It has been a week, and already John has said that I have been less moody and more kind to him.
And me? I can sense a great change in my “thought life.” I am already finding that I get angry about things less often, and my mood feels generally happier. The debilitating pain in my shoulder/upper back/neck that I have been struggling with for over a month is GONE. I am not feeling as tired as I have recently felt and am more motivated to do things around the house. I think I’ve prepared dinner more times this past week than I did all last month. So? Already feeling better.
In just one week.
I’m not calling for every woman out there to stop taking the pill. It is probably the right thing for some women. But it is definitely not the right thing for every woman. If you take it, and you feel depressed? Ask your doctor for answers. Ask yourself – is it worth this? Could this be what’s hurting me, and those I love? I wish I had known this stuff sooner. I wish my doctors had told me.
I want to take this opportunity to apologize to every single person who’s had to be on the receiving end of my problem, in any way, at any time. It gets hard inside my heart sometimes… it gets ugly inside my head. That flows out of my mouth and my fingers sometimes. Sometimes a lot. I am so sorry.
I want to thank my husband for trying not to kill me, and succeeding.
And I want to thank every single person who says nice things to me on a regular basis. Thank you to every friend and acquaintance who has tried to brighten my day. Thank you to those of you who stick by me and are helping me get through the dark days and make it back into the light. Or, well, into the light at all. You all mean more to me than you can possibly know.
Thank you so much.
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So, you made it to the end? Did you read, or just fast-forward for the funny? Ah well, whichever it was, you made it to the end. You deserve your funny, just because you came here to see me. And also because it’s Tickle Me Tuesday, according to Marie.
So? Here’s my funny for the day:
My child is prone to butt rashes, and so, 85% of the time, he is at least half-naked. Regular readers can confirm that there are several Braden Hiney Sightings here on a regular basis.
Result of giving in to the desire to hold and love on your half-naked child:
Project Support Beauty in Nature
The response to my last post was great. So many of you spoke up and agreed that befowling the earth with filth is poor behavior!
Just a sample of thoughts:
“Arghhh, rubbish drives me mad.”
-Veronica
“It makes me mad too when I see how people just think it is ok to throw trash on the ground.”
-Jennifer
“Litter is pretty disgusting – people are a bunch of pigs.”
-Beck
“This is the stuff that gets under my skin because it is only getting worse…”
-Kim
And I can only imagine that several more of you agreed, but just didn’t comment. Did anyone get inspired to do a cleanup project of their own?
I am going to document our own little trash pickup/recycling project of later this week and report back to you guys with pictures and words. I’d like to issue you all a challenge to do something similar. Are you up to it? Put on your thinking cap. Have you seen something similar in your neighborhood that disgusts you?
Some of you clearly have:
“I was just thinking the same thing yesterday while watching a group of people flick their cigarette butts all over the ground….”
-Sandy (Momisodes)
“I think I will have to do the same thing b/c on our walk, just through our neighborhood, I saw a lot of junk on the ground.”
- Secret Agent Mama
“…I still cringe when I see the amount of garbage thrown into some parts of the streets and sidewalks….”
-Lilacspecs
“I carry a trash bag while hiking so I can pick up other people’s garbage.”
-Amy
“My kids and I go once a month, trash bags in hand and collect the litter along the roadside in our area. It never ceases to sicken and amaze me that people are this damn lazy and spoiled to toss their trash where ever they choose.”
-Redneck Mommy
And how about you? Have you seen something similar where you are? What can you do about it?
*What will you do about it?*
So many of you are awesome bloggers, and I would LOVE to see your answer to this challenge in my comments section, and then your follow-up post about your own project of kindness and love, on your site. Is two weeks enough time for everyone to come up with something, complete the task, and then document it on their website?
Or maybe you live a very green lifestyle, and you’d love to share your advice and opinions with others, in the hopes that something you do hasn’t yet occurred to someone else, and they will adopt a change for the better when they read your post. Educating others is a great way to help – and with your own website you can do just that!
This is a call to action -let’s name it Project Support Beauty in Nature.
If you like, please grab any of these buttons and put them on your sidebar, linking to this page, to call attention to this project. Who knows how many people we can get on Mother Earth’s side?
“People overlook the power of one. They think since they can’t fix the whole problem, their piddly little contribution won’t make a difference, so they don’t act. They are correct – if most people have that attitude.”
-SuzanneSays
Let’s make a difference.
Let’s stand together, and grow the number of us that are changing the world for the better, one step at a time.
Support Beauty in Nature!
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