My favorite things (and more).....

Getting back onto the subject of Earth month, I wanted to share that by taking small steps they can make an impact. When the baby was first born, the hospital told us to use water from bottles and not the tap... so we did. Every week or so we would go to the store and buy one or two cases of water- you know, the ones with 24 bottles. We had so much recycling in the house that I had to empty the can every two days. To get to the point, we bought a Brita filter and we have cut down on the amount of water bottles that we needed dramatically! It made me feel so much better knowing that I was doing something to stop creating so much waste.

I have also been using the cloth (washable ones) and the G-Diapers which have liners that you can compost or flush down the toilet. I like using the G-Diapers, but at night I feel they don't hold enough so I use the disposable ones for that :/.

Most of Baby J's toys are hand-me-downs. The pack and plays, the crib, the crib mattress, and tons of other toys that he plays with on a regular basis have been used before. Many of his clothes are from other people in the family whose kids have outgrown them. I feel so grateful to have so many family members and friends that think of me and Baby J - we really are blessed.

Many of the toys that I had on the registry (especially the teethers) are all eco-friendly. Organic cotton toys from Under the Nile have been great (he LOVES his carrot, green bean and mushroom!) and his other teethers are BPA free. I have been trying so hard to make decisions that don't make a big bad impact on our environment.

The thing I have noticed is that there are not many stores in the area that sell eco-friendly baby items. I have to order them online or go to the basic baby stores that have way too much stuff in them and never anything you really need or are looking for. The closest store that I found is actually in Sussex County, NJ and is called Mother Moon Baby. There is a website with a few items, but the store is much better to go to(much more stuff than what is posted on the website). This store carries the most unique items and most if not all is eco-friendly. That's why I love this place, and it is affordable which makes it so much more appealing.

Making this decision was easy. I wanted the most healthy and best way to bring up my family. By starting when the baby is young, I hope that what he learns with us, he keeps with him forever and uses it in a great way. I don't want him to be one of those kids that doesn't care about the world around him. I want him to be aware of himself and where he is and to know that his actions affect the world and the people around him.

Well, it's something to think about. What kind of impact do you have on the environment and what can you do to make it better?

Much love,
-J