Category — environmental

Yes, I know, everyone is dealing with the “Current Economic Crisis” and we are ALL getting tired of hearing about it. Well folks, it’s about to get worse.

On Feb 10, 2009 the new CPSIA will go into effect. What is this new regulation you ask? It will bring about the end for so many small businesses in America.

The Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act makes it illegal to sell ANYTHING geared towards the under age 12 set. ANYTHING.

For those of us that shoe at second-hand stores, guess what stores will no longer be legal to operate?

For those that sell their kids old clothing, toys and books to make some extra cash, guess what you can be thrown into jail for. Oh, and get a whopping $100,000 fine PER OFFENCE.

For those of us who like being able to buy locally, handmade, sustainably made toys and clothing for our kids, sorry, those are now illegal – or cost so much that no one can afford them anymore.

Yes, it looks like it is just targeting toy manufacturers in China, but who are the real targets of this regulation?

• Second-Hand stores
• Work At Home Moms
• Craft Fair Vendors
• Small Toy Manufacturers
• Low- and mid-income families that cannot afford to buy retail
• everyone who has to buy ANYTHING for their kids, because the cost will be going up
• Employees of small and mid-sized businesses that manufacture or sell children’s goods – they will most likely be out of a job
• Every tax-paying American – just who do you think will now be supporting all of the people who will now be out of a job? Paying for the debt created by all of the businesses going bankrupt?
• The Chinese people. Yes, this is an odd one, but the working hours are already way past what should be allowable, the conditions are horrific, and they aren’t paid enough to ever get ahead. Does anyone really think that forcing China to produce MORE will help this?

Now, who will be benefiting from these new regulations?

• China – that is the only place anything will be able to be manufactured anywhere near affordably – and the products still won’t pass the necessary testing because of the next group
• Large Corporations – they make so much that these new tests will simply be absorbed and the cost passed along to you – the consumer. But they won’t really care about safety – eventually they will find a way to allow their manufacturers to go back to the less expensive way of doing things.

Once again our government is making the rich get more by stealing it from the poor – and anyone who isn’t already rich! The “Middle Class” that we enjoy in this country is slowly being erased. We are heading back to a system of the few wealthy controlling the masses of poor, ill-cared for people.

For those of you that think this will not affect you, wake up and smell the load of crap they are feeding you! EVERY American will be affected. The poor will no longer be able to find products to clothe their kids cheaply, the middle class will be put out of business – thereby becoming the poor – and every taxpayer will foot the bill.

Socialism, here we come.

Please, I beg you, take the 5 minutes to send a letter to your Congressmen and -women, to your Senators, to the CPSA, to everyone you know! There is a poll up at Change.org where you can vote to get the word out about issues to our new President-Elect Obama. You can visit and cast your vote on this issue at:

http://www.change.org/ideas/view/save_handmade_toys_from_the_cpsia

Yes, it calls out handmade toys, but this is so much more far-reaching than just toys.

And for those that think I’m just chasing after the dollar, please believe me that I care about the safety of all of our kids. I have 2 of my own, and at this time I try very hard to feed them healthy, wholesome foods that actually are grown rather than coming out of a box. I try to make sure that their clothes are modest and will last. I prefer to get them toys that have as little plastic in them as possible. I prefer to get them outside into nature as often as possible. We don’t have TV in our house. We don’t buy clothes, school supplies or toys that are emblazoned with Hannah Montana and other brands that are being forced down the throats of the American public.

These alternative choices will soon be gone. No more sustainability manufactured handmade toys, no more going to the 2nd-hand shop for back-to-school shopping and being able to trade in old clothes for new ones so it doesn’t cost $200 in August to put clothes on their backs that fit.

Please, take a few moments to get informed. Spread the word.

Even if you don’t have kids, you will still be paying the price for idiotic legislation. Even if you are financially ahead of the game, you will still be paying for it.

The “Current Economic Crisis” is fixing to get a whole lot more “crisis-y” We are heading for a recession the likes of which have only been seen during the Great Depression, but it will soon be illegal to use many of the things that helped Americans survive the last one. Oh, and there are a whole lot more people alive now than there were then.

America has always been known as the land of the free, but we are slowly trading in those freedoms that we so cherished out of fear and giving those with the money more and more control over what we can and can’t do. 9/11 made us trade in freedoms in transportation, the lead in toys from China will be trading in our freedoms of choice. Yes, we need to protect our kids, but forcing them to only have the option of mass-produced junk that will fill our landfills even faster is not the answer.

Now that I’ve once again thrown this out there, I will step off my soap-box.

Oh, and I’m adding this in the the Thrifty Green Thursday carnival, because it affects so much of what we do to reduce, reuse and recycle.

Have a nice day.

I was really looking forward to keeping the theme all about Christmas this month, but something has come to my attention that simply must be addressed.

There was a congressional committee recently that decided to pass some regulations regarding products intended for kids under 12.  Really tight regulations.

I know what you are thinking… with all of the products coming out of China recently with lead in them, this is a good thing, right?

yes & no

The regulations are rather broad, and will affect more than just products imported from China.  It will affect small businesses in the USA, Canada & Europe that make good toys.  Natural toys.  Handmade toys.  Handmade clothes.  The alternatives to the plastic junk that lines the shelves at your local Wal-mart.

These small businesses will be put out of business around about February 10, 2009.  Yep, gone.  No more hand-carved wooden toys are craft fairs.  No more unique boutique clothes for your little ones.

Why will these businesses be gone?  They can’t afford to have each & every produce tested.  Rumor is pegging these 3-rd party tests to be around the $4,000 mark – not part of the budget for a work-at-home-mom hand-sewing boutique clothes and Waldorf dolls in her spare room.  Out of the budget for the grandfather who carves wooden toys and sells them at street fairs.

What can we do to help these businesses stay afloat?  Well, other than buy up as much as we can before Feb 10 (ha ha) we can get informed, tell others and tell our government that this is too over-reaching.  The Handmade Toy Alliance has some great modifications that could be made to these regulations, and still have the desired effect.

There are a ton of sites out there that have great info on this issue, so it is not hard to get informed.  Read through the regulations, see what small business owners are worried about, and see if there is anything that you feel led to do.

As for me, I already wrote to my congressmen and -women.  I also wrote to CPSC, asking them to take another look.  I’m telling you about it, and I have emailed many others about it.

Why do I care?

Well, I rather like the natural toys.  I like the handmade toys.  I would rather purchase wooden toys and fabric dolls than the plastic junk that lines store shelves.  I like to support small businesses.  I also happen to own a small business that could be affected.  If these regs stay as they are, I will no longer be able to sell handmade nightgowns, oven mitts and cloth dolls, because I can’t afford to get them tested.  Is there any possibility of lead in any of these products?  Not so much.  They are all made from cotton or wool.  No paint to worry about, but that doesn’t seem to matter.  No plastic to worry about, but that doesn’t matter either.

Why should you care?

Look at our country – we are already in a recession, people are already losing their jobs at an alarming rate.  Businesses are struggling to stay afloat as it is.  Come Feb 10, there will be a lot more people struggling to stay afloat.  There will be a lot more small business loans that go into default.  There will be a lot more small businesses that will have to lay off their employees because they can’t afford to pay them.  There will be a lot fewer small businesses open in America.  And a lot more unemployed American citizens.

Oh, and those small business owners may be your neighbors – neighbors who can no longer pay their mortgage payments.  More houses going into foreclosure or being sold vastly under market-value.  More people trying to figure out how to feed their kids.

Yes, we need to come together as a country to support our fellow Americans in this.  We need to care.

Please, take a few moments out of your busy Holiday schedule to get informed, to get active, and to tell others about this.

Thank you for taking the time to read this, and thank you for your support.

Merry Christmas!

… and now back to our regularly scheduled programing!

I know, I haven’t done this for a while (sorry!) but I have one for today, so I’m sharing it.

Fermented Foods

yep, I’m talking about making your own yogurt, kefir and breads.

With our family’s mega budget crunch that is happening lately I took a step back to see what we are spending more cash on at the grocery store. Our milk is already delivered, which saves on the gas & all of the temptations that the grocer has to offer, but what about the other stuff we use a lot of? We have been drinking smoothies about 3 times per week for breakfast, and those can get a little bit pricey.

Solution: culture your own yogurt and kefir for the smoothies!

It’s really not that hard – kind of a no-brainer really. Put the kefir grains into a jar of milk and let it sit on the counter for 12-48 hours, strain it and put the grains back into the jar with more milk and let the grains do their thing on and on into eternity.

I have an old milk jug that we use to keep the kefir in, and to that I add some raw honey and occasionally dried fruit. Put it into the fridge, and it’s ready to use for the next smoothie!

As for yogurt, I have a starter culture for that too – just put a Tablespoon into a jar with some milk or half-and-half and let it sit in the oven for a day or so (depends on the culture you get, but mine takes a cooler temp). Fresh, yummy yogurt! Again, I add some honey to this – plain yogurt is not my personal fav.

The other huge money waster is bread. THe girls take a sandwich to school every day, and Eric often does as well. That is 6 slices per day, then you add in toast for breakfast, and you are up to 9-10 slices each day. EACH DAY. That’s like half of a loaf!

Costco sells a 50lb bag of bread flour for $16, and I can get about 8-10 loaves out of a 10 lb. bag. That’s 40 loaves for 40 cents each. I call that markup! The loaves at the store are averaging $4.50 these days, and my loaves are from a longer bread pan. Yes, I am making sourdough bread, so the ingredients are water, flour and salt. One batch makes 2 loaves, and I make them about every 5-6 days.

Bread baking has this aura of mystery surrounding it “I could never do that!” “Baking bread is so hard!” To that I simply say Pish-Posh! The only thing hard about it is waiting for the loaf to cool down before slicing into it! Yes, there is a time issue, but bread really is much more forgiving than most baker will let on. The sourdough sponge that I make sits for 24 hours, then you add the rest of the flour, water and salt and knead it for 5 minutes. Let it sit again for 2 hours (give or take) and form it into loaves. Let those sit while the oven warms up and bake them. Wow, that’s hard. I get so tired of bakes who make it sound like it’s an intensive thing – IT’S NOT!

OK, off my soap box now.

That’s my tip for this Thrifty Thursday – see what foods you consume regularly that you can make at home for a fraction of the cost – you just might be surprised!

We are going to hit on a topic that is near to my heart today… waste.

The average school child who brings their lunch to school generates 67 pounds of lunch related trash each school year. That is PER CHILD. The average American school generates more than 18,000 pounds of waste each year. 18,000 pounds!!! And that is just one school.

Wow. That’s pretty impressive, right? It’s downright scary!

So, what can we, as parents, do to help cut down on the amoung of waste generated by our kids? Well, we can start by packing a lunch for our kids – that’s the healthy part – but make sure that we pack it into a container that will not generate waste!

I know, you walk through the grocery store and you see all of those easy, single-serve packages of stuff that your kids beg to have in their lunch, and it’s tempting! Believe me, I know the temptation! But I have found that with the right lunchbox system, I can make sure that my girls are getting a healthy, balanced lunch and cutting down on the waste!

What’s the secret?

First, I made sure that they have lunchboxes that either have compartments for everything, or that they are able to hold the containers I can re-use.

Our favorite lunchbox is the Laptop Lunchbox. I like them so much that I got one for my hubby too. They come with 2 large and 2 small containers, a mini container with a lid and a fork and spoon. One of the large containers has a sealing lid, so you can send “wet” things in there – applesauce, yogurt, etc.

laptop lunchbox

Yes, they are plastic, but they are tested to make sure that it is food safe. Laptop Lunches was started by 2 moms who wanted to cut down on waste and find a better alternative.

One thing that I love about them is that I feel this sense of obligation to put something healthy into each container. This helps me make sure that I get a good, balanced, healthy meal each day to send with them.

We picked up a couple of fabric bags that they carry them in each day, and we toss in a cloth napkin and a milk or their Sigg water bottles for a beverage.

Happy Balloon Bento Box

The other lunchboxes that we use come to us from Asia. I found some adorable bento boxes at Daiso for a few dollars each and the girls love to use them. The ones we use most are 2 levels with a lid for each. I put the sandwich in on e level, and put the rest of the goodies in the other. Ours have a strap that keeps them closed, but there are many styles that are self-locking. A fun thing about these in particular, is that they have a space set aside for the matching chopsticks to just fit inside the lid. My daughter loves anything Chinese (well, Asian, actually!) so this just made her day.

If you look online or have an Asian market nearby, there is a plethora of fun little things that you can use in a bento box – the Japanese use them daily, and they get quite creative with some of their lunches. As you can see above, these small boxes can hold quite a bit of food.

Now that we have the container squared away, what do we put inside? Think bulk. Think homemade. I buy a large jar of applesauce (or make it) and put it into smaller containers to send to school. I buy a large container of plain or vanilla yogurt and add some fruit to it in a smaller container to take to school. I buy lunchmeat and portion it out for the week – then freeze the rest for another week. I bake bread once a week, and occasionall bake muffins or cookies. I make granola. I slice up farm fresh veggies.

Each day they get a sandwich, some veggie sticks and dip, a treat – cookie, yogurt, applesauce, poki stick, etc – and either milk (that doesn’t have to be refrigerated) or water in their Sigg’s. I will usually toss in some fresh fruit too. All of this goes into their lunchbox, the box goes into the bag with a napkin and drink, and they are good to go! The only thing that goes into the trash is their milk carton.

On the rare occasions that I use a “traditional” lunchbox, I have some small Tupperware containers that everything goes into. Snack cups and sandwich keepers work great, and I have yet to have either of the girls forget to bring something home. They remember to put everything back into the bag, and their school has a big bin outside each classroom for lunchboxes to go into.

When I figure that our school lunch program increased the cost to $2.75 per student, per day this year, I figure that I am saving a few dollars, and my kids aren’t eating chicken nuggets and pizza every day. Fortunately, the split is about 50/50 between kids that bring lunch and kids that are “hot lunch” so they don’t feel weird about being the only ones eating a cold lunch.

Is this what we really want them to eat?

So, skip the individual sized packages and send reusable containers with your kids to hold their lunch. Get creative with it! You may just surprise yourself with what you find to use! Just don’t fall into the ziploc bag rut now that you have cut out wasteful packaging… that would be a bit redundant, no?

This week I would like to talk about kids clothes…

Our kids seem to be growing right before our eyes some days! I think my daughter gained another 4 inches over the Summer. I do know that all of the jeans that were a little long on her last year are trying to be capris this year!

How do we keep these growing kids dressed?

Consignment shops. That’s my secret. We took a big bin of clothes down the week before school started and we were able to get both girls 3 outfits each… and I still have some store credit leftover. M also got herself a pair of cute shoes for school.

I had the girls go through their clothes over the course of a week -trying things on to see if they really still fit, or if they were just hoping that they would! Out of their drawers we cleaned out a large bin & a kitchen trash bag full. Well, that also counted the things I had been pulling out over the Summer. The consignment shop was a little picky (I left with about half of it) but they still gave me a $60 credit. Very cool.

So, what did we do with those clothes that were turned down? Well, lots of them were “too Summery” for the shop, so we took them to one that doesn’t care about seasonal stuff… and got another in-store credit.

This is a lifesaver for moms! We can get rid of the clothes that no longer fit our kids, and get “new” clothes for them that will… usually without spending a thing.

There are lots of online consignment shops as well… and I have gotten some really cute things through them too.

Another place that we often take outgrown clothing is Goodwill. It is hit or miss, but you can find some very cute outfits there for just a few dollars. A bonus is that they also carry things like bikes… another high dollar item at the store!

The best tip I can offer for getting really great deals – shop at consignment shops in high dollar neighborhoods. The one that we go to is in an upper middle class neighborhood with lots of Microsoft employees living nearby. Good clothes – some with the original tag still attached – for under $8.

With the money I saved, I figure that the gas that I used to drive down there was worth it!

As of today, I have joined the Thrifty Green Thursday carnival. What is this, you ask? It is a blog carnival started over at the Green Baby Guide, with many bloggers linking together to give their fav. green tips each Thursday!

While I do realize that I posted a few of them the other day (the gas post!) I thought I would highlight one or two of them just a bit better today for those looking to be both thrifty and green!

So, my first thrifty green tip is… find a CSA farm!

What is a CSA farm? CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture, and that is pretty much what it is! A CSA farm is fully supported by the community that it exists within. The members pay a flat fee each year and get their fresh picked (usually organic) produce each week throughout the Summer months, and into fall.

One of the best places to find a CSA farm in your area is through Local Harvest. Local Harvest is (among other things) a listing of farms across the country, and you can search by zip code and state to find farms near you!

We have been members of 2 different CSA’s thus far (we moved, remember?) and we have loved both of them! A big box or bags filled with produce each week, all freshly picked the day before we got it, and all organic.

That’s the green part. So what’s the thrifty part?

How much did you spend last time you went to the store and purchased a list like the one below?

1-2 lb potatoes
1 bunch beets or carrots
2-3 onions
1 bunch kale or turnip greens
1-2 round tomatoes
1-4 Roma tomatoes
2 bags mixed greens
1 bag spinach
1 green zucchini or 2-3 patty pan squash
1 cucumber
2-4 ears corn
1 bunch basil, dill or parsley
1 head lettuce, collard greens or cabbage

That is just an example of one of the weeks we have had thus far this Summer. what does all of this wonderfully fresh, tasty and organic produce cost you ask?

Our subscription was $475. It started in mid-May, and lasts through mid-October. That is just one week, and we get it each week for 5 months.

Last time I bought ONLY produce at Safeway – and not even that much – it cost me over $100 for about 2 plastic grocery bags full. That lasted about 1 week. So, at that rate, I would be spending over $500 each month to get the same amount of produce each month that I get through the CSA farm… and a lot of it would have been shipped from another country to get to my table.

So, now do you see the thrifty side of it? 5 months worth for less than my grocery store would charge for ONE month, and the quality is better, the produce fresher.

Here’s a green smoothie lifted up in a toast to CSA farms! Filled with fresh organic fruit and mixed greens, of course!

There’s an interesting combo… are you intrigued?

Basically, I’m tooting my own horn & asking you to head over & cast your vote!

Craftster.org is running a contest, and I got my entry in today (just in time!). They are trying to help create awareness for global warming, and have joined with 350.org to spread the word.

What’s the big deal about 350 you ask?
350 is the number that leading scientists say is the safe upper limit for carbon dioxide–measured in “Parts Per Million” in our atmosphere. 350 PPM–it’s the number humanity needs to get back to as soon as possible to avoid runaway climate change.
~ quoted from 350.org

Did you notice the “get back to” part of that? Yes, we are past 350 ppm… BUT there is still hope! If we can reduce the amount of carbon emissions we can start to reduce the junk in the air, and help heal the planet.

So, lil ol’ me is doing my part to spread the word… and trying to win some cool swag in the process!

You know you wanna see it… the entry of course!

drumroll please… curtains opening…

Ta-Da! And the model is just adorable too!

So head over to 350.org and get informed… and if you are reading this before the 15th, create your own entry & submit it at Craftster.org!

Yes, I found another thing to sign up for (it’s a good thing Eric never reads this!)

But THIS one is really useful! Really!

Compacting: The Compact has several aims more or less prioritized below:
- To go beyond recycling in trying to counteract the negative global environmental and socioeconomic impacts of disposable consumer culture and to support local businesses, farms, etc. — a step that, we hope, inherits the revolutionary impulse of the Mayflower Compact.
- To reduce clutter and waste in our homes (as in trash Compact-or).
- To simplify our lives (as in Calm-pact) .
(Copied from Mama’s on the Compact)

Well, I’m signing up to try this out for the next 4 months… yes, just in time for back to school and Christmas. ugh. It shouldn’t be too hard though, right?

Well, here goes. My Pledge.

I pledge (starting on Aug 1, 2008) to not buy anything new from a big box store for the next 4 months – through Jan 1, 2009.

If we need something, we will utilize freecycle, craigs list, goodwill, 2nd hand shops, etc.

I also pledge to donate un-used items through the aforementioned channels.

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Some exceptions:

As I have a business to run, I can purchase NECESSARY items for that – thread, notions, printer paper, etc. No fabric shopping sprees though. I really need to use up what I already have!

As the hubby has some projects that he wants completed by the end of Summer, we are allowed to purchase mulch and blocks to build the terraces in the back, although I will post to freecycle to see if there are any available there first.

In the event that we do not have enough canning jars left (after giving them away last year – filled, of course!) we can purchase some new ones – or find them on freecycle! I will need to purchase new seals though.

Christmas…
Christmas gifts will be handmade wherever possible. In the event that we do not already have everything necessary to complete a project, we can purchase the needed items provided that we already have 75% of the needed supplies, and there is no way to work around the missing supplies (like foam for that certain gift…)

Christmas Gifting can also be purchased through Indie/small businesses to help support my fellow independent crafters. Etsy is a good thing!

Back To School…
After looking over the supply lists, I think we have 95% of what is required. As I don’t have the tissue boxes & glue already on hand (and they want new ones for that!) I will need to buy new. New purchases will be on an absolute MUST HAVE as required by the school. No “oh Mommy, but I WANT it!” purchases.

As per tradition, Eric can take the girls to get 1 new outfit each. It’s just a Daddy thing. HOWEVER, I will be making a trip down to Others Mothers to trade in old clothes, and get clothes appropriate for school!

Before purchasing any new fabric for clothes, I will use up what we already have. There should be plenty for the next couple of years!

Shoes. As their feet are growing, we will need to get more shoes. HOWEVER, we do not need to buy 5 new pairs each! They can each have 1 pair of running shoes and 1 pair of dress shoes.

Tights. There really isn’t a way around this one… they need new ones, and 2nd hand ones just don’t seem to exist. I’ve looked, a lot.

Part of this pledge extends to school lunches. They each have a Laptop Lunchbox, and a bento box. We do not need to purchase plastic baggies for lunches. I will NOT do it! They will take their lunch each day, and they will be filled with wholesome, homemade food. No pre-packaged junk! This worked well last year, although I did have a couple of slip-ups.

Books.
We will utilize PaperBackSwap.com for new books.
This will help with cleaning out some old books too – a pleasant by-product.

Software.
Unfortunately, there are a couple of programs that we do need, and as we have funds, we can purchase those. No games though.

Flowers.
As per a prior agreement, Eric is allowed to buy flowers for the kitchen. Actually, he is allowed to buy flowers for any reason at all! ;~)

Music.
Electronic purchases are allowed. They don’t end up in a landfill somewhere, and are one of the few things that Eric spends $ on – and it isn’t excessive by any stretch. HOWEVER, we need to continue weeding out the CD’s we no longer listen to.

Birthdays.
We can purchase “specialty” ingredients to bake birthday cakes. We have wrapping paper, bags & tissue, and should have plenty of decorations. We can use regular dishes instead of paper plates. Invitations can be handmade. Gifts can be purchased from Indie shops or handmade. Even for the gents…

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Outside of these exceptions, we will re-use, recycle or do without. It should help on the financial front too. Honestly, Target is my biggest downfall. It doesn’t seem to matter what I go in for, I end up spending around $100 somehow. It’s frustrating.

For food, we should be set for a while.
- We get our veggies from a CSA farm weekly, and that lasts into October.
- We purchased a 1/4 of a pig, so we have meat for a bit.
- The currants are coming in, so we will have jam made to last for a few months. I need to go pick some berries though.
- Once the apples are in we can make some applesauce.
- I pledge to make bread at least once per week. It’s cheaper, and I know what is going into it.
- The herbs are doing well, and are drying now for use until next Summer.

I also pledge to not purchase any new plants during the next 4 months. If I really want something, I will see if someone else has a start for it. This will be a hard one! Anyone have Lemon Balm? How about Basil? I will trade Oregano for it! Or Lavender! Please?

I pledge to use cloth napkins and towels rather than paper. We have some paper napkins on hand that we can use for camping. We were doing this, but the girls found the stash & went back to paper.

Unless something vital breaks (a possibility!) we will not purchase new. Vital: the oven, washing machine, etc. The car already broke, so that’s no longer an issue!

Well, I think thats just about enough loopholes, don’t you?