Living Green with Cloth
Guest Post by Emily McClements from Live Renewed
It was a proud moment for me. I overheard my daughter asking, “Hey daddy, can I have one of those um, um, paper… things?” She was asking my hubby for a paper towel when we were on vacation, and she didn’t know what it was called. That is because our family has not bought or used paper towels, or any other type of paper product (except for toilet paper), in our home for over a year. And I was grinning when I realized that my almost 3 year old daughter does not even know what a paper towel is.
It’s one of the biggest questions that I get from friends, family and even readers on my blog, “How do you make the change to using all cloth around your home?” or “How do you clean your house without using paper towels?”
I realize that for some people it can feel overwhelming, or seem like a big obstacle to overcome, to switch from using disposable paper products to cloth all around the house. But, it’s become so second nature to us that I really don’t even think about it any more. So, I wanted to share with you a few tips and steps that you can take to move toward a paper free household.
I also want you to know that I’m all about taking baby steps. I think that lasting change comes when we make simple and small changes, that are easily maintained, instead of diving right in and maybe getting over our heads and then falling back on what we know and are used to. For me, baby steps are definitely the way to go about making a change, and making it stick.
Photo by devaburger
Steps to Switching to a Paper-Free Household
- First of all, start seeking alternatives to paper. Go to the kitchen and the cleaning sections at the store and look at the different options for cloth that are available. Think about what types of cloth you will need for different uses around your home and decide what you think would work best in those situations. I have several different types of cloths for different purposes around my home.
I use kitchen towels for drying hands and dishes, washcloths for wiping down counters and other general cleaning, baby washcloths for wiping off children after meals, knitted dish cloths for washing dishes, and bar map towels for more serious cleaning like wiping up spills on the floor, in my kitchen. I use microfiber cloths for all kinds of general cleaning around the house. I also have lots of plain hand towels that I use for general cleaning up of spills and all kinds of messes that only a 2 year old and 1 year old can make. I make my own disinfecting wipes, and I use cloth wipes for my baby’s bum. I even made my own cloth swiffer sweeper covers. Did I miss anything? Is there something that you use paper for and haven’t been able to find an cloth alternative for?
- Secondly, start stocking up on cloth. If you see cloth wipes on sale at the store, stock up. Even better, start checking out thrift stores and garage sales for cloths you can use around your home. Or look at cloth items that you already have around your house that could be re-purposed.
Since I’m all about being green and being frugal, I love buying second hand cloths for two reasons. One, it’s cheaper than buying new cloth. And two, it’s better for the earth. It saves on the raw materials, production and manufacturing, transportation, energy, etc. used to make brand new cloth. I also love find new uses for things I already have. I cut up my hub’s old t-shirts to make my disinfecting wipes, and I used old flannel receiving blankets to make hankie wipes to use in place of tissues. No need to spend money and buy new cloth when something you already have will work just as well!
- Finally, set up a system. Using cloth takes a little more thought that using paper products, at first. Where do you store them, what do you do with them once they are used and dirty, how often will you wash them? Take some time to figure out what you think will work best for you and your family when using cloth. You may need to clean out a drawer in your kitchen so you can store your cloth napkins and towels in a place that is easily accessible, or you may need to get a small hamper that you can throw your used cloth in.
For us, we have a drawer in our kitchen dedicated to cloth, as well as a few other spots where cloth is easily accessible, like the drawer that also has our kids plates and bowls. Our linen cabinet in the hall has an entire shelf dedicated to cloth cleaning rags. Our laundry is in our basement off the kitchen, so we set up a hanging mesh laundry bag at the bottom of the stairs and I throw our used cloth down there and then I usually do cloth laundry twice a week. Figure out a system and tweak it as you go and learn what makes using cloth easy for your and your family.
You can make the change from paper to cloth slowly and gradually. One way is to move your paper products like paper towels or tissues to an unseen, somewhat inaccessible place, and put your cloth products in a convenient, easily accessible place. When your paper towels are not sitting on the counter just asking you to grab one, and your cloth is closer and more convenient, your much more likely to reach for the cloth. Soon you will find that all of the reasons you thought you needed paper towels are easily, and usually better taken care of with cloth.
In fact, now when I am in situations that I find myself having to use a paper product, I get a little annoyed because I have found that they really don’t work as well as their cloth counterparts. Paper towels are flimsy and disintegrate, while cloth wipes can clean up messes all day long with just a rinsing out in between. Paper napkins smear the food around on my kids’ hands and faces and don’t stand a chance against anything sticky, while a damp washcloth cleans them up quickly and effectively.
Although you too may have thought to yourself, “What would I do without paper towels?” As you take baby steps to switch over your household to cloth, I think you’ll end up wondering how you went without it for so long.
Top Photo by The New Oak Tree
Emily McClements is passionate about caring for God’s creation while saving money at the same time. She is a blessed wife and mama to two young children, and blogs about her family’s journey toward natural and simple living at Live Renewed.
I have a lot of new and exciting things coming up here this fall, so make sure you add my blog's RSS Feed to your reader or you can sign up for free updates by Email. I can also be found on Facebook and Twitter! **
Does Natural Lotion Work?
One of the biggest problems with being in the kitchen more often than not, is the wear and tear I see on my hands. I also have a little one in diapers, so that means extra hand washing each day. Now in the summer when I couple all of that with gardening and food preservation, my hands need serious help.
A little while ago I actually sought out Renee from Hard Lotion.com to see if her lotion bars could help me out.
I wanted something for my skin that was non-toxic, easy to use, and worked. It had to be something I could recommend to my readers without hesitation.
Her lotion bars are all handmade (a huge plus in my book!) and include only three ingredients. But would they work?
Once I received them I was a bit hesitant as to how they would work on my hands, wondering how I was to get it over and around my fingers. Renee sent me both a full size bar (2oz) as well as a pocket size bar (.75oz) I first used it on my poor cracked heels and loved how they felt after a couple days. I actually went from limping, to walking normally by the end of the week. I think the reason it helped so much was that I could apply it a bit thicker at night and it could really soak in and soften.
Now using it on my hands was a little tricky. It does soften when it warms up against the skin and once I got my own ‘grooves’ into the bar, it was fairly easy to apply. It didn’t fee greasy at all and really helped to rehydrate my poor dry hands!
I was also able to try out her lip balm as Katie from Kitchen Stewardship gifted me a tube awhile back!
Again, only three ingredients.
The lip balm feels great and is a staple in my purse.
One of the things that really attracted me to the Hard Lotion website was the fact that Renee not only sells great products on her website, but she also has two videos to show you how to make your own lotion bars and lip balms. While poking around there today I saw she also sells and Au Chocolat lotion bar which “combines cocoa butter, coconut oil and beeswax to produce a lotion with a slight natural chocolate scent.”
Chocolate lotion? Sign me up.
I’m also thinking about getting the Bug Block bar that includes the essential oils of citronella, cedarwood, and lavender. We’ve got major mosquito around here and I could use any natural help that I can get!
Best of all I can honestly recommend the product. It’s something I use daily myself.
If you’re looking for a nice all natural lotion, or interested in making your own, check out the MadeOn Hard Lotion website as well as read her blog.
*pssst…..we’ll also be featuring a giveaway next week so stay tuned!!!
This post is linked to Things I Love Thursday
I have a lot of new and exciting things coming up here this fall, so make sure you add my blog's RSS Feed to your reader or you can sign up for free updates by Email. I can also be found on Facebook and Twitter! **
Try it Tuesday: Homemade Toothpaste
The Problem
Fluoride is a chemical put in most public water systems and is placed there because someone thought it would help prevent cavities. The metro area I live near was actually the very first city to put fluoride in their water.The concept is that experts were/are hoping that through regular fluoride consumption the rates of cavities in both young and old would be reduced.
Unfortunately, not only has it yet to be proven to be effective, it has also been shown to decrease fertility in many of the animal studies that have been done. Seems that it causes multiple problems with sperm quality. Chronic exposure to fluoride has also been linked to thyroid and neurological disorders, hormonal imbalances, and heart disease.
It’s in most every conventional toothpaste as ‘cavity prevention’.
Sodium Laurly Sulfate is an anionic surfactant (foaming agent) that used in many cleaning and hygiene products, both conventional and so called ‘natural’. It’s the ingredient that helps to cause the foaming in our toothpastes, shampoos, bubble baths, and shaving creams. It has been linked to greater risks of developing canker sores, and more importantly it has been shown to be an endocrine disruptor as well. Which means this; once it is absorbed into the body, it mimics the activity of the hormone Oestrogen causing the natural balance of your hormones to ……disrupt.¹
My First Solution
After deciding to rid my body of exposure to these particular 2 toxins from my toothpaste, I headed to the nearest health food store and browsed the shelves. I was completely surprised by how many ‘natural’ toothpastes had not one – but BOTH of the ingredients in their mix!!
Actually, not just surprised….appalled!
I mean, how many people had done the same thing I had in running out to find a better alternative for their families and were mislead by the ‘natural’ label?!
But, I finally found a toothpaste that I thought would meet my requirements:
- no fluoride
- no sodium lauryl sulfate
- no crazy sounding chemicals
Back to Square One
A couple months ago I actually noticed my teeth.
Don’t get me wrong – I brush every day, floss sometimes, but how often do you really get up close and notice your teeth? I knew I hadn’t been doing the greatest job in the world, but I seriously almost cried.
I had dark spots between, and along the gum line, of many of my teeth.
You see, I had started using a glycerin based toothpaste, and come to find out……glycerin prevents teeth from remineralizing as it actually stays on the teeth for days after brushing. While studies are hard to come by, different sources claim that it can take 20 – 30 rinses to get it completely off the teeth. I don’t rinse like that, and I doubt you do either!
Plus what happens when you use it twice a day? It seems in my case anyways, my teeth have not gotten a chance to remineralize at all. Basically rotting from underneath.
Solution Number Two
I had a lot of comments of a post last week in which I had mentioned trying an herbal tooth powder. It contained Horsetail Grass, Peppermint Leaf, White Oak Bark, Cloves, Prickly Ash Bark, Bayberry Bark, Slippery Elm Bark & Stevia Herb. In my experience it worked just fine, though really odd to get used to! It was all a complete powder and like I said….it worked. But it left me wanting more.
Finally Hit the Nail
A couple weeks into using the tooth powder, I decided to make my own toothpaste. I’ve been using it a month or better and while it did take some getting used to, I prefer it over the powder. I’ve also started to notice the spots on my teeth diminishing to which I am thrilled about and all over my teeth have started brightening up.
How to Make Homemade Toothpaste
- 2 teaspoons Dr. Bronners Castile Soap – liquid (the baby mild is recommended!)
- 5 Tablespoons coconut oil, melted
- 1/2 Tablespoon aluminum free baking soda
- 10-20 drops essential oil (I used a mix of orange and mint)
- 1/2 teaspoon stevia
- 1 Tablespoon water
Place 2 teaspoons of Dr. Bronners into a small bowl.
Add in the 5 Tbsp of coconut oil
Then 1/2 tablespoon baking soda (you can leave this out if you’d like. Personally I won’t add this every time as I’ve also heard it can wear down enamel with long term use. You can also taste it so I leave it out of my sons toothpaste) and 1 tablespoon of water,
Then comes the 1/2 teaspoon stevia (helps to sweeten – but to much can leave it chalky feeling)
Place your mix of essential oils into the bowl (I used about 10 drops sweet orange and 5 drops spearmint)
Mix it all together and then revel at the crazy concoction you’ve just made.
Pour it into a small container and let set back up. (any container will do, I happened to have a very small mason jar on hand)
To use, just dab your toothbrush into the mix. Personally I mix it up per individual as I’d rather not have a community ‘tub’ of toothpaste!!
Also -
- When you first try it it won’t be as bad as you might think, but, after a few days it seems completely normal and you won’t mind it at all!!
- You could use any other type of oil, if you can’t use coconut oil for some reason, it would just stay in a liquid form. (you could use a hand pump instead if you’d like)
- The actual stevia herb is green – hence my mad scientist toothpaste! I prefer to use stevia this way as it’s not highly processed like it’s refined, white alternative.
So, what do you use for toothpaste?
I have a lot of new and exciting things coming up here this fall, so make sure you add my blog's RSS Feed to your reader or you can sign up for free updates by Email. I can also be found on Facebook and Twitter! **
Homemade Deodorant Tutorial
Learn how to make your own deodorant! Read more
Finding Natural Products
When I first started looking into switching all of my conventional products into either natural or homemade I found myself at a stand still. One reason was that I didn’t know where to find these ‘healthy’ products, and the other was that I didn’t want to spend our hard earned money on something I hated.
But I’m all for when a company wants me to try stuff out for them!
iHerb contacted me a bit ago and asked if I’d like to go on a shopping spree (on the house) so that I could post a review. I went and looked around on the site, and while there are some things that don’t strike me as ‘natural’ or ‘healthy’ (like toothpaste with sodium lauryl sulfate in it) they had a huge range of products and great prices. So I decided they were a company that I personally would order from and went ahead and placed my order.
I end up finding an herbal tooth and gum powder as I’m really looking to get away from even the natural toothpastes since so many of them either have unnatural ingredients in them or are based around glycerin. Let me tell you…..it’s odd trying to get used to a powder for brushing! It works just great, but you don’t get that foamy mess in your mouth either. For me this was perfect though as everything in it was completely natural, including the stevia herb.
I also bought some gelatin capsules so that I can fill them full of cod liver oil. (I’m a wimp, I know!) Also on my shopping list was a kelp supplement, Rescue Remedy’s fatigue remedy, toothbrushes for all of us, and a homeopathic calendula ointment.
Overall, I would totally buy from them again. I ordered on Monday and had my products on Friday, customer service was good, and a good amount of the products they carry I would use without hesitation.
Now, iHerb would also like to giveaway a $50.00 shopping spree to one of my readers as well, so all you have to do to enter is leave a comment here at this post by midnight on Wednesday May 12th. (US Residents only)
I have a lot of new and exciting things coming up here this fall, so make sure you add my blog's RSS Feed to your reader or you can sign up for free updates by Email. I can also be found on Facebook and Twitter! **
Cleaning Day
Last week I was seriously debating whether or not to hire some outside cleaning help. Not because my house is horribly dirty or that we live like those on the hoarders show, but because I always seem to be behind.
It’s always yesterday’s laundry waiting to be folded.
The vacuum sitting out from 3 days ago.
Dust on the dressers from……who knows when.
Dishes from the last meal sitting on the table.
You get the idea.
I’ve also been feeling very run down as I’ve had a lot of commitments lately along with my normal daily routine. Last week I started to come down with mastitis again, which I realized last year is more of a systematic thing for me than anything else. Instead of getting a cold – I get mastitis. I was able to catch it before it got to bad, and with healing foods and homeopathy, kept it at bay. Though I didn’t slow down much as work needed to be done.
Then my little one came down with a fever. So all day yesterday we laid on the couch together, napping on and off. My dear husband cooked all of our meals and took care of the normal household chores so I could just sit and snuggle her.
And the break was good for me.
It made me realize that even when I do rest, I’m constantly busy. Busy folding laundry, busy online, and busy reading and researching. It also got me thinking how my home in it’s current state leaves me with a sense of anxiety and a constant feeling of being behind. So not only can an unclean house be toxic for the fact that different chemicals and toxins rest in dust, it’s toxic for our emotional state.
Which brings me to today.
Cleaning Day.
I’m putting aside other obligations today and focusing on my home. To help restore the feeling of being at rest, to make it a pleasant place to be. I’ve got my homemade cleaners ready to go and the baby is currently asleep. My goal is to have my home picked up before my husband comes home from work and it won’t be an easy task! There’s laundry to do, bread to make, every room needs to be vacuumed and dusted, and the floors need to be mopped.
Do you ever let your duties at home get away from you? How do you go about bringing it back into balance?
I have a lot of new and exciting things coming up here this fall, so make sure you add my blog's RSS Feed to your reader or you can sign up for free updates by Email. I can also be found on Facebook and Twitter! **
Post Partum Herbal Sitz Bath
There are lots and lots of herbal sitz bath recipes on the web if you do a search for them. Some include only one herb, while others include a whole list of them. I decided to kind of make my own and use what I had on hand (or could easily get my hands on).
Here’s the “recipe” I used to make my post partum sitz baths.
1/2 gallon boiling water
1/2 cup sea salt (or epsom salt, but it doesn’t have the same healing properties)
1/2 cup comfrey leaves
1/4 cup uva ursi leaves
Mix together and let sit, covered, for at least a few hours to steep. Basically what you’re doing is making a really strong herbal tea. Strain into a clean container and keep in the fridge, or freeze in Ziploc bags if you make it ahead.
It can be used in the bath after delivery: just pour a couple of cups into a warm bath and soak for at least 15 minutes. This is my favorite!! Not only do I get a few minutes of “me time”, it has really helped relax my sore muscles.
Can be used in a squirt bottle to use after going to the bathroom.
Can also be used to make “ice packs”. Just pour a bit onto panty liners and freeze. Then place over a regular pad to help ice your perineum. They don’t stay cold for long though. Oh, and they don’t freeze solid since it’s salt water.
Not only does this sitz bath help promote healing because of the herbs and sea salt, it does wonders for sore and achy muscles. And after hours of contractions, you’re muscles are gonna be sore!
I sure wish I had known about herbal baths after my first delivery, I think it would have made a world of difference in how I felt!
I have a lot of new and exciting things coming up here this fall, so make sure you add my blog's RSS Feed to your reader or you can sign up for free updates by Email. I can also be found on Facebook and Twitter! **
Toss the Plastic, Save Your Fertility
A couple years ago I started to come across information that concerned me about my use of plastic. Most of it based on the fact that it doesn’t decompose and sticks around forever. I began to worry about what I was storing my food in. I worried about the plastic water bottle I had at work. The one I refused to toss out because I was to cheap. But ditching plastic was the “in” and “green” thing to do, so that’s what I did.
And then as someone who suffers from ‘lack of fertility’, the following information was what I needed for a complete 180 turn.
BPA
Bisphenol A (a xeno-estrogen) has been suspected of being hazardous to humans since about 1930 and luckily companies are starting to hear the outcry from the public and are taking it out of products. Studies have shown it affects the reproductive systems in both men and women as it acts as an endocrine disruptor and mimics estrogen in the body. We are regularly exposed to BPA as it is found in the lining of aluminum cans, water bottles, plastics, food storage containers, and even dental sealants.
A study done by the CDC even showed that 93% of the children and 95% of the adults tested had levels of BPA in their urine and the National Toxicology Program came out with a report in September of 2008 saying they found “some concern” with BPA and that infants were most at risk.
Phthalates
“Phthalates are industrial chemicals that are added to plastics to impart flexibility and resilience and are often referred to as plasticizers. Phthalates also are used as solubilizing or stabilizing agents in other applications. There are numerous products that may contain phthalates: adhesives; automotive plastics; detergents; lubricating oils; some medical devices and pharmaceuticals; plastic raincoats; solvents; vinyl tiles and flooring; and personal-care products, such as soap, shampoo, deodorants, lotions, fragrances, hair spray, and nail polish. Phthalates are often used in polyvinyl chloride type plastics, such as plastic bags, garden hoses, inflatable recreational toys, blood product storage bags, intravenous medical tubing, and toys (ATSDR, 2001, 2002). Because they are not chemically bound to the plastics to which they are added, phthalates can be released into the environment during use or disposal of the product. Various phthalate esters have been measured in specific foods, indoor and ambient air, indoor dust, water sources, and sediments (Clark et al., 2003).”
While phthalates (also a xenoestrogen/endocrine disruptor) are supposedly metabolized and quickly excreted from the body, there have also been studies that suggest that exposure to this class of chemicals may contribute to endocrine disruption, metabolic interference, and affect reproductive health. The other issue that needs to be looked at is the fact thatwe may be constantly ingesting them. It’s not like we’re exposed once and that’s it. We may excrete this particular toxin, just to ingest it again. In 2002 the EWG published a paper with a full list of the toxic repercussions (http://www.safecosmetics.org/downloads/NotTooPretty_report.PDF) including birth defects and damage to the male reproductive organs.
What You Can Do
When I first found out about the actual dangers of plastics, I was upset. I wanted to toss everything I owned made of plastic and buy new, but my wallet said different! So to minimize your exposure, there are a few things you can do.
- Do not place hot foods into plastic or heat foods in plastic. As an unstable compound, when heated it leaches toxins into your food. Ever notice how a clear plastic container turns orange when you heat a tomato sauce in it? Well, if the food can leach into plastic, the toxins can leach out.
- Use plastic for only non fatty foods as the higher the fat content, the more it leaches.
- Don’t place in the dishwasher as the high heat can damage the already unstable plastic and cause it to leach more.
- Buy glass storage containers when you’re able to and an insulated stainless steel container is great for leftovers at work.
So, how much plastic is in your house? Do you use it on a regular basis?
What one thing do you want to replace now?
This post is linked to: Spring Cleaning – Get the Plastics Out over at Fake Plastic Fish check out her post for more information on how to live plastic free!
I have a lot of new and exciting things coming up here this fall, so make sure you add my blog's RSS Feed to your reader or you can sign up for free updates by Email. I can also be found on Facebook and Twitter! **
Can Washing your Hands Lead to Infertility?
According to an article published in the December 2007 Journal Endocrinology it can.
You see, an ingredient within many antibacterial soaps has been shown to interfere with our endocrine system. This ingredient you ask? Triclocarbon (or triclosan, and in some products referred to as microban), a common ingredient in many products. By some accounts Triclosan is found in75 percent of liquid soaps and 30 percent of bar soaps, as well as in toothpastes, acne creams, deodorants and lotions. It can also be incorporated into a wide range of consumer products like toys, cutting boards, toothbrush handles, hot tubs and athletic clothing.
In a study on human cells in the lab, triclosan seemed to increase gene expression that was normally regulated by testosterone. In rat studies organs that are dependent on testosterone (like the prostate) were enlarged. Both studies were done by The University California-Davis, and researchers concluded that unlike normal endocrine disruptors that bind to cell receptors, Triclosan actually amplifies the response of our naturally occurring hormones. This can lead to depression of natural estrogen and androgen production.
Another study done by a molecular biologist at British Columbia’s University of Victoria, found that while triclosan isn’t in fact lethal in small doses, it can also affect the thyroid.
My advice: wash your hands with regular soap. Antibacterial soaps haven’t proven to be any more effective.
This post is linked to Katie’s Spring Cleaning Carnival (to which I am very late – it went up yesterday!) so if you’d like to read many other reasons why NOT to use antibacterial soaps, head over there to check them out by clicking on the picture above.
Also on the same note, if you haven’t read last weeks guest post “Sterilizing Life”, you should!
I have a lot of new and exciting things coming up here this fall, so make sure you add my blog's RSS Feed to your reader or you can sign up for free updates by Email. I can also be found on Facebook and Twitter! **
Living Without a Microwave Oven
This is a guest post from my friend Jodi over at JodiMichelle.com. They’ve been living without a microwave since last summer, so I jumped at the chance to have her share her story here. {By the way, she’s promised to post video of herself dancing routine from a popular song. Jodi…..we’re waiting. 
}
The journey to getting rid of our microwave started about 4 years ago when we went to Virginia to visit friends over Christmas. I have such great respect for these friends, they’re near and dear to me and so much farther ahead in living responsibility and taking care of our earth but when I noticed they didn’t have a microwave sitting on their counter I was very literally shocked.
SHOCKED!
I had no idea that it was “acceptable” to live without a microwave. I mean, how did they make their oatmeal? Or cook their chicken?
Oh yes. I grew up with a mother who would bake things in the oven and if it wasn’t done to her satisfaction she’d whip it in the microwave before serving it to us.
I was dumbfounded to watch our friends warm up their left overs on the stove, in a pot or pan or whatever it took. Quickly heating up a casserole under the broiler for a few minutes. What was even more amazing to me was that it worked.
Oh, I wish I was kidding you, but this was a whole new idea to me – one that I was sure had failure written all over it, I actually had the conversation with my husband that we should (wait for it) buy them a microwave before we left as our thank you gift to hosting us for the holidays.
So that was my first clue to living without a microwave and when we came home I quickly turned to my husband and said, I’m throwing it out! We can live without one! But I was vetoed. He wasn’t ready for it so we kept it on our counter and used it once in a while, still making instant oatmeal and reheating the leftovers when needed.
It started to blow the breaker every time we’d use it though. Which spells trouble to me when I’m putting my food into a box that has the potential of blowing my house up … yeah. Not so good.
Fast forward to when my niece came for a visit from Arizona this past summer – they also don’t use a microwave and she was so against eating something from a microwave (or wearing sunscreen) that she ate dinner cold at our house one night. Not sure why I didn’t just pop it in the oven for her, but she sat there happy as a clam to eat cold lasagna unaltered from the waves of our death box on the counter.
Which is when I finally decided to cut it out already. The microwave had to go. My husband still had feelings for it though so instead of using it – it sat there on the counter for a couple months while he got used to the idea of letting it go. But then it broke and I threw it out. He rescued it and it now sits on the floor in our mudroom – and he does use it every once in a while, but it’s a complete pain to prepare whatever it is he wants and then to go out in the cold mudroom, get on the ground and push those buttons. He has a bad back, too, so this won’t last long. (I’m only sorta happy about that in a very sinister way.)
It’s amazing how living with the microwave has changed how we prepare food. I just don’t make HUGE batches of anything anymore because really when I thought I was making extra food for additional meals later (left overs) I was taking up valuable real estate in my fridge with rotting food, because we never ate the left overs – and I’d keep preparing large portion meals for more left overs through out the week.
The microwave was like a permission slip to gluttony that we just never cashed in … but in the end it cost us hundreds of dollars every year in groceries I’d throw out and packaged food I would buy that didn’t fill our tummies or nourish us in any way.
We eat oatmeal, but it’s stoneground and soaked now and the leftovers we do have become ingredients in other meals or soups … or we just reheat on the stove. I’ve been more intentional about preparing food now because there is no lazy way out.
I haven’t done much in-depth research on why a microwave is bad for you but I’ve heard and read enough to agree with that statement and we’re now a happy, hippy family!
Thanks Jodi!
And to my readers that haven’t yet met Jodi, she’s fabulous at oversharing on her blog and she’s also planning the Gleek Retreat for bloggers, coming May 22 and 23! {yay for having a blog conference here in Michigan!}
I have a lot of new and exciting things coming up here this fall, so make sure you add my blog's RSS Feed to your reader or you can sign up for free updates by Email. I can also be found on Facebook and Twitter! **
