You just never know until you ask!

But the sad fact is that the very way we live is vandalism, and thus violence ~ against Mother Earth. We may not be able to change all that needs to be changed, the governments need to do that, but there are many things we can do and do quite easily. And the beauty is that once you get used to making small changes, they get easier to make and become a habit in no time.

Recycling is great ~ we do it as much as we can where I live. But we were shocked to discover that many items we thought were recyclable actually weren’t. At least not in our area. So think back to the first of the R’s ~ reduce. Now that I know what plastics can and can’t be recycled, I check items before I buy them. I would rather pay slightly more for peanut butter that comes in a recyclable container than  less for peanut butter that comes in a container that can’t be recycled. I’ll be honest, I don’t always have the money to do that, but I do when I can. And the containers that can’t be recycled? They can often be re-used ~ the second of the three R’s.  A lot of my crafting supplies are in old peanut butter containers,  empty Pounce Treats containers ~ anything that can’t be recycled but can be reused is as much as possible in my house.

Another way to reduce is to buy in bulk. Where I live, the Bulk Barn prices are largely comparable to grocery store prices.  Yes, you place the product in a plastic bag, but with a good shaking out and some care, you can reuse those bags quite a lot. When the time comes that they have served as much purpose as they can, then you can recycle the bags themselves. And with all your empty peanut butter jars etc, you already have lots of containers to put your bulk food in!

We have also installed those coiled energy efficient light bulbs in every socket. We’ve had them for almost 2 years now and I think that only 1 has needed to be replaced ~ the one in the living room that got used the most. And yes they are more expensive ~ but only in a penny wise pound foolish type of way. You can pay less for the bulb, more for your electricity and more vandalism against Mother Earth. You don’t need to replace them all at once ~ as light bulbs need to be replaced, purchase them.  Tom and I also got some at a “Green on the Green” gathering last summer in Fredericton where one booth was giving them away.

We have also started unplugging appliances not in use ~ coffee maker, microwave, lights and so on.  And unless you are actually recharging something, there is no sense in leaving the recharger plugged in ~ but people do it all the time. We also have digital cable and the box uses a lot of power when the TV isn’t even being used. So now that gets unplugged as well. So it might take 5-10 minutes when it’s plugged back in before you get the tv guide channel or any other info, but weigh that against what’s being done to the planet……… At night when we go to bed, pretty much the only electrical appliances left plugged in are the fridge and stove ~ and if they didn’t share a breaker, the stove would be disconnected that way at night as well. It’s estimated that 20% of your power bill comes from appliances simply being plugged in ~ not being used, just plugged in. It took awhile to get used to, but now it’s automatic ~ pour the last cup of coffee and unplug the pot. Right now I’m working on one of my worse habits ~ being online and watching TV at the same time………..

But it’s not just electricity that we need to reduce. We also need to get serious about our water supply. Unfortunately our water flow is too poor to place a brick in the toilet tank ~ it barely flushes now ~ but if you can, that’s an excellent way to reduce your water usage. Ever heard the saying if it’s yellow let it mellow if it’s brown flush it down?  You may need to clean the toilet a bit more often, but do you really need to flush every pee singly? Especially if it’s just pee that needs to go?

So, there’s a lot we can do and should do. Above are a few of the things that we do in my house. What are your tips?????

However, the cost of these products can be high. A starter kit from LunaPads includes in following : 2 maxi pads, 2 maxi liners, 2 maxi w/wings, 2 maxi w/wing liner, 2 long pads, 2 long pad liners, 75.99 CA for cotton or 89.99 CA for organic cotton. It might seem like you get a lot but how many times a day do you change your pad? And when you can make them yourself for much much less, self made starts looking like a better alternative.

There are patterns available but I found it difficult to find the waterproof backing. So, I came up with the following method that not only gave me a set of reusable pads but also recycled material I already had on hand. Chances are you also have the required materials at home.

The very first thing to do ~ no matter which way you make them ~ is to make sure that the materials are clean. The materials I used had never been used as rags or had stains and I washed everything before and after I’d made them.

Reusuable pads come in 2 pieces ~the pad and the liner that goes inside the pad. For the pad I used cotton socks. I made various sizes to accommodate the various flows. Because you know what size protection that you need, I’m leaving the actual sizes to you. Cut off the top of the sock to the appropriate length. Roll, or fold, the raw sock edge and slip stitch around the edge. If you’re not a sewer, leave an extra inch or two so you can just fold that length into the sock. For heavy protection, especially nights when you move around a lot, I don’t cut any off the sock at all. For the full sock pad, you’ll put the liner in the sock the way you would put it on your foot. This way the inner curve of the heel area will curve against your vaginal area. If you’re really ambitious you could sew a few snaps to close the end.

The liner is even easier. You can make them out of heavy cotton flannel, waffle shirts or toweling. I used all three. You want the line to be shorter than the pad by just enough to fold and tuck it into the sock completely. This part has a bit of trial and error! When you have the appropriate length cut, and width, fold it in on itself so that it slides easily into the pad. Voila! You have a self made pad!

I haven’t bothered to put anything on the bottom to keep it in place ~ they stay in place much better than the others. You can if you like though. Snaps, velcro, it’s up to you. If you do want to have them more attached, I would recommend using underpants that are specifically for your period. Snaps with a pad sounds uncomfortable to me!

How many you make is up to you. I’ve made enough to last one period, but I started with just enough for a couple days and added as time when on. I also keep disposable pads on hand for when I’m out or away.

Make sure you keep them clean. Every time I changed pads, I rinsed off the used one and then placed it in a bucket with water and laundry soap. At night I would wash the pads in the pail completely ~ either by hand or in the washer if it was running anyway. If you have dogs you’ll probably want to keep the pail and/or drying pads and liners in a place that is out of reach from the dog.

Since using my pads I have saved money, helped the environment and had far better protection than any disposable pad ever gave me.

Give them a try!

http://www.mooncup.co.uk/

http://www.stewardwood.org/resources/DIYwashabletowels.htm

This forum will be for all 3 and ways we can incorporate all 3 R’s into our lives.

     I’m pessimistic  about the state of our planet and the lack of action being taken by a combination of those who create the problem and those that allow the ongoing creation of the problems. Hold on, they’re the same people aren’t they?

     I’m afraid that we’ve damaged our Mother far beyond reclaiming her original state of grace and the lushness of life. I’m afraid that our children and theirs will not be able to pay the price of what’s been done. I’m afraid we can leave no explanation to them that will suffice. I’m afraid because I believe all the above to be true.

      A rather grim introduction, but it’s a grim situation. Still, that doesn’t mean that we can’t do what we can. As Bob Dylan says, “if it keep on raining, levee gonna break”. Let’s do all we can about shoring up the damage. You’ll find, and hopefully post, here a variety of topics on being green ~ cleaning, power consumption, and of course recycling.

Wyllow