Monday, June 30, 2008
Our carbon footprint
Our household produces 72 tons of Co2 per year, actually coming in below average! This was surprising considering my husband commutes roughly 27,000 miles a year. Yes, that's 27 thousand miles! My not-so-subtle hints for him to buy a hybrid haven't flown! So maybe he's a little cheap.
Sunday, June 29, 2008
My poor baby
It looks like my sweet son might have scarlet fever. We'll see what the ped. says tomorrow, but I'm almost certain that's what it it. He's had a 101-103 temp. since Friday, has a very fine sandpaper-like rash over his entire body, plus the other symptoms. I feel so bad for him! As I was bathing him last night and rubbing the soap onto his skin, I commented to him how bumpy his skin was. He replied, "I guess I am so poor, huh?" Whenever he's sick or hurt, I'll say, "My poor baby," so that's what he was meaning.
What frustrates me the most is the fact that if this is scarlet fever, antibiotics are necessary. He's allergic to penicillin, so he only has 3 that he can take. While we were dealing with his recurrent ear infections this past winter/spring, he grew resistent to 2 of them, and his ped. had to break out the big daddy of antibiotics. Luckily, he's been antibiotic-free since he got his tubes in March. I was just hoping to be able to keep him off until at least winter. Ugh! Poor kid!
What frustrates me the most is the fact that if this is scarlet fever, antibiotics are necessary. He's allergic to penicillin, so he only has 3 that he can take. While we were dealing with his recurrent ear infections this past winter/spring, he grew resistent to 2 of them, and his ped. had to break out the big daddy of antibiotics. Luckily, he's been antibiotic-free since he got his tubes in March. I was just hoping to be able to keep him off until at least winter. Ugh! Poor kid!
Thursday, June 26, 2008
Flashback!
Today we found the newly opened recycling center in town... it frightened us! OK, not what I was expecting! I was hoping for a recycling bin for paper, plastic, ect. Nope! It's obvioulsy just for metal and batteries, but something is better than nothing, right? Seriously, it was an old, run-down shed in someone's back yard in a bad part of town. They do pay $.75/pound for aluminum cans, though!
That thought brought back memories of when I was growing up in the 80's, when recycling cans had nothing to do with the environment, and everything to do with getting money! We drank a LOT of soda, especially during the summer, so we were able to fill up trash bags pretty quickly. I fondly remember my brother and I putting on our grandpa's old boots and stomping the cans flat, or bashing them with a hammer. We loved getting one can stuck on each shoe and running around making horse clopping sounds! Then we'd load them in bags, stick them in the truck, and drive to the guy who sat behind the old IGA building. We loved watching him dump them into the machine that shot them into a semi trailer, but loved the money even more! It was always used for a special treat or small trip to the zoo or something. Now I have that opportunity with my own children, although I think I will leave them at home when I venture to the recycler to drop them off.
And the bonus to this... come spring when we replace the old aluminum siding on our house with vinyl, we can recycle the siding and get some fun money from it!
That thought brought back memories of when I was growing up in the 80's, when recycling cans had nothing to do with the environment, and everything to do with getting money! We drank a LOT of soda, especially during the summer, so we were able to fill up trash bags pretty quickly. I fondly remember my brother and I putting on our grandpa's old boots and stomping the cans flat, or bashing them with a hammer. We loved getting one can stuck on each shoe and running around making horse clopping sounds! Then we'd load them in bags, stick them in the truck, and drive to the guy who sat behind the old IGA building. We loved watching him dump them into the machine that shot them into a semi trailer, but loved the money even more! It was always used for a special treat or small trip to the zoo or something. Now I have that opportunity with my own children, although I think I will leave them at home when I venture to the recycler to drop them off.
And the bonus to this... come spring when we replace the old aluminum siding on our house with vinyl, we can recycle the siding and get some fun money from it!
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Today's green move
I have just placed an order for cloth diapers. Yeah, my son is 4 years old, and is fully potty trained during the day, but he still can't get the hang of staying dry overnight. That boy can sleep! We've tried everything, but he just isn't ready. I get tired of washing his sheets everyday, plus, it's a waste of water and energy. So instead of going out and buying yet another pack of disposables that don't even let him know that he's wet, I'm going cloth!
Cloth has gotten such a bad rap in the past. I remember my mom telling me that when I was born, she used cloth and hated it. She was ever so grateful to my great-grandma, that would buy the disposables for her so that she didn't have to cloth diaper. She never went back. When my daughter was born 9 years ago, cloth diapering was unheard of. I didn't even consider it. While pregnant with my son, I was on a mission to dispell any common mainstream thought on pregnancy and baby rearing. Everything I planned on was met with criticism- "WHY would you WANT to make baby food when the sell it in jars?" And when I told of my plans to cloth diaper, I got the same reaction, only followed by, "You're NUTS!"
I did go on to have my intervention-free, med-free birth, I did make my own baby food, I made cloth wipes since my son was sensitive to store-bought ones, but I did not cloth diaper. My husband was against this, especially since we had just bought a new washer and he was afraid we'd ruin it (likely excuse). Had I known we'd still be buying diapers 4 years later, I would've never bought dispoables. Now I know better! Even though we were only spending $9 a month on disposables since he only wears them at night, this will still save us money, especially if this bedwetting goes on. Plus, I can re-sell them once I'm done with them, and get my money back! But the biggest bonus is no waste!!!!!!!
Cloth has gotten such a bad rap in the past. I remember my mom telling me that when I was born, she used cloth and hated it. She was ever so grateful to my great-grandma, that would buy the disposables for her so that she didn't have to cloth diaper. She never went back. When my daughter was born 9 years ago, cloth diapering was unheard of. I didn't even consider it. While pregnant with my son, I was on a mission to dispell any common mainstream thought on pregnancy and baby rearing. Everything I planned on was met with criticism- "WHY would you WANT to make baby food when the sell it in jars?" And when I told of my plans to cloth diaper, I got the same reaction, only followed by, "You're NUTS!"
I did go on to have my intervention-free, med-free birth, I did make my own baby food, I made cloth wipes since my son was sensitive to store-bought ones, but I did not cloth diaper. My husband was against this, especially since we had just bought a new washer and he was afraid we'd ruin it (likely excuse). Had I known we'd still be buying diapers 4 years later, I would've never bought dispoables. Now I know better! Even though we were only spending $9 a month on disposables since he only wears them at night, this will still save us money, especially if this bedwetting goes on. Plus, I can re-sell them once I'm done with them, and get my money back! But the biggest bonus is no waste!!!!!!!
My New Year's Resolution
I try to stick with resolutions each year, but somehow, I never manage to get too far. This year, I promised myself to go green. So far, this one has stuck! Since Jan. 1, I have faithfully toted my reusable shopping bags to and from the store, I've started replacing bulbs with CFL's, am growing an orgnic veggie garden, along with several fruit trees that are organic as well. I know there's more, but you get the point. Hopefully through this blog I can help spread my word of greenness, and learn more as well!
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