Cloth Wipe Trials

I know I have blogged about cloth diapers before but I don't think I mentioned that we also use cloth wipes. I have NEVER been a fan of commercial wipes. I don't care if they claim to be sensitive, they contain chemicals and I didn't want to use them of my daughter's most sensitive areas. I think it is a huge waste of money to buy wipes. I understand they are convenient for when people are out of the house but to use such a convenience item when I am home all day seems silly.

I was told at the hospital and by my first pediatrician to use wash cloths and gentle baby wash instead. So although I have used commercial wipes here and there I am huge supporter of cloth wipes. I have to wash my cloth diapers so I just throw my wipes in too. It also takes me about two cloth wipes to clean what would take about five commercial wipes. I also love how I can pat E's bum dry with a wipe and re diaper without worrying about diaper rash.

I love them. My husband does not. He felt the wipes I purchased were not soft enough. He is a man who loves commercial baby wipes. It is a good thing I am in charge of the diapering decisions in this house.

Here are the Kissaluvs Baby Wipes I have been using. I purchased them from Cotton Babies.

Recently I won a set of cloth wipes from 5MinutesForGoingGreen. They are Bummas wipes and although i haven't used them yet- they seem awesome. However, i will report back after using them. You can check them out at the Bummas site.

I currently use California Baby wash with the wipes. However, there are tons of DIY wipe solutions online. Personally, I would love to get my hands on some Baby Wipe Juice!!

Tees for a Change

I am so excited tell everyone about this amazing website that was recently brought to my attention. It is called Tees for a Change and was started by mom Andreea Ayers. The site sells adorable Eco-friendly tees! I really enjoy reading the About Us section of websites. I enjoy learning the back story behind a creative idea and I promise you Andreea's did not disappoint. Tees for a Change was inspired by her home birth experience in 2007. Reading her story made me want to “Be Courageous” too!


Each tee delivers an inspiration meesage. Simple and powerful these tees remind you to 'laugh often' and 'practice kindess'. This company is partnered with Trees for the Future and they plant a tree for EVERY Eco-friendly tee we sell. I checked out the site and it looks like I might help plant a forest.

Check out their site at http://www.teesforchange.com/. They introduce new lines in March and September so be sure to stop back for new items!

UPDATE***
Yay! New Mommy Rant readers can now use the coupon code RANT for 15% off until August 31st!

I'm a Big Chicken and Where are all my "People"?

Part I

So it turns out that I am a huge scaredy baby. I am not quite sure when this happened but I think it was right around when I got preggers with E. I used to love, love, love horror movies. A a teen I read every Dean Koontz and Stephen King book imaginable. I enjoyed being terrified out of my mind. Now, not so much. Last night the hubs suggested we watch The Eye! The title sounded scary as I was pretty sure it was not an optical love story, but he reassured me it was PG13. First, it was a horrible movie. Second, it scared the SH$T outta me and I ended up reading Eat, Pray, Love through the end. The I went up to bed alone and couldn't even sleep with the light off. I had to go to bed with the light on. Thanks scary movie for making me waste energy. No more scary movies. I guess there is so much negativity in the world that I just don't want to go to bed at night thinking about seeing dead people. I do have to exclude all CSI's and Law and Orders- for some reason those don't scare me so much.


Part II

I have been trying to do my best to be earth conscience. I realized that although I was using cloth bags at the supermarket, I wasn't using them at other stores. So, yesterday at Target I used cloth bags. Then the hubs, Eliza and I ran to Home Depot to pick two small items. The hubs was using the self-check out and I said, "We don't need a bag." He gave me kind of a nasty look. I new I had just irritated him. When we got into the car I was markedly upset. I told him that I was just trying to do something good by not using plastic bags. He said he didn't see what difference one bag made. And I know this is the mindset of many, many people. Of course this brought me to tears as I tried to explain that one person can make a difference and just because a lot of people use plastic bags doesn't me we should. Do you think it is that time of the month? I love my husband but he is not one of my "people". I don't know where my "people" are as I haven't been abler to find them yet."

* Side not- My niece Alli started me using the term, "My People". She uses the term when she sees other who also have sizable ears. She calls them her "people". her ears are just perfect in my opinion.

Where are my people? Why can't I find them? Am I Eco crazy or something? Should I scout out the super market for people whose carts filled with organic produce, green cleaners and a variety of tasty nut butters? Of course they will also be using cloth bags at the check out.

I am sad that my husband is not my "people." He tries for me, but he just isn't that into the GREEN thing. He uses cloth diapers no problem, eats my non-meat concoctions, replaces our light bulbs with energy saving ones, and tries to shut off the water when he brushes his teeth- but only because I ask him too!

His people are "golf" people I suspect.

If you are my "people" please come and find me so I don't feel damned crazy!


On a happier note, I won some fun Eco-friendly products from Green and Clean Mom. When my prize came in the mail I was ecstatic. I could barely wait to use my Toilet Bowl Fizzy Tablets! I also received The Kitchen Cleaner and The Bathroom Spray Cleaner and I have already used them both. Joyful Girl Naturals also has a line of natural beauty products!

If your thinking of making some Green changes...

Recently I have started to think about clutter. I am talking about physical clutter and mental clutter. I came to the realization that the clutter in my house is having a negative effect on how I feel. The chaos I create for myself is effecting my well being and ability to function efficiently. I often feel weighed down and overwhelmed. For example, my bedroom is often littered with clothes. The nightstands covered with who knows what, and the closet doors flung open wide bearing a hodgepodge of clothes, shoes, hand bags and other misc. items. None of my clothes are actually hanging up. At night when I get in bed, I lay there, unable to breathe, feeling like there is a great big grizzly bear sitting on my chest. A grizzly bear named- CHAOS!

I don't want to live in excess. I want to live simply. I want to live cleanly. I want to live an eco-friendly life. And I want my daughter to see me doing my part to keep our Earth healthy. So what do I do whenever I embark on a new adventure? I get a book. I am a book geek. So when I was offered the chance to check out Eco-Friendly Families before it hit shelves I answered with a resounding., "Heck Yea!"

So I have been reading Eco-Friendly Families by Helen Coronato. I received it a few weeks back and have had my nose in it ever since. It is basically a going green guide for families. This book has really been an inspiration to me because it makes going green seem much more manageable! I just know Pete appreciates how I gently remind him to shut off the water when he is brushing his teeth.

The book has lots of great features that make it easy to use.

• A monthly guide to greening up your home


• Chapter checklists to help you stay organized


• Green cleaning tips and tricks to help get the WHOLE family involved in cleaning. Now if I could only teach E to use a squirt bottle.


• Innovative and fun ways to reuse and recycle common household items. * My niece and I have already recycled some old crayons!


• An awesome resource section in the back with websites galore

Since I started reading the book I have made small changes in my house. The hubs and I are de-cluttering and simplifying. We donated some old clothes (which I normally would do) and I am looking into donating old athletic sneakers to Nike to be recycled (new idea!). I located spots in my community to get rid of old batteries in a safe way. I have also started saving glass jars so that I can reuse them. I plan to bring some down to Hatteras on vacation for collecting shells and sea glass. I think that will be a nice way to make keepsakes from the trip. This is only the tip of the burg for us- but I am careful to make slow, small changes I can keep up with in the future.

The book is a good resource for anyone that wants to make some green changes. It is probably best for those who are just starting out with making some positive changes. Of you have been doing the green thing for a while- you are probably already doing a lot of things suggested in the book. It makes it's debut on August 5th but you can pre-order it on Amazon right now for just $10.85

How green can I go?

Going green is really at the top of my list at this time in my life. I want our world to be a beautiful place for my daughter. I want to do my part to keep it that way. I don't judge other for their choices, but I believe that you shouldn't b*tch about things if you aren't going to do anything to change them. I love to complain so I need to make up for it by doing my best to live a clean life.

So how green an I go?

Cloth Diapers! I know some people debate the greenness of cloth diapers but I come from the school of thought that anything you can reuse is greener than something that is disposable

I have been received some cloth diapers in the mail and I am super stoked. However, it occurred to me that I have no idea how to use cloth diapers! I started my journey into this uncharted territory today. If you had asked me five years ago about cloth diapers I would have looked at you like you were crazy. Today I am steadfast that I will succeed- even if there are some spills along the way.

I will be trying out about 6 different brands of cloth diapers. I will post my review of each one on the blog. Wish me luck! I know there are may people who think I am a nut case for using cloth diapers - but I say poo poo to them.