A man does not plant a tree for himself,  he plants it for posterity. - Alexander Smith

With little effort and zero fancy equipment, I’ve reduced my average water consumption by three percent. Long, hot days of summer have slowed me down and drained ME of energy, but not the weeds. The weeds are running riot and lustily propagating faster than I can eliminate them. I am mostly watering only the plants which I planted this spring and summer, plus my tomatoes, the containers, and of course the hydrangeas. More...

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Return to Sender With Recycled Cards
Research from Hallmark shows that Valentine's Day is the second most popular holiday for greeting cards, with as many as 180 million cards sent each year, and that's not counting children's valentines. Skip the heart shaped boxes and pink foil and send a love note on these cards from Urban Bird Designs, made in Portland with images from books found at estate sales (vendors include Eagle Harbor Book Company and West Seattle Nursery,  find more online). Created using wind energy and printed on 100% recycled paper, these cards employ cute puns such as "deer to me" (pictured, right) and are blank inside--perfect for a gift certificate from our merchants. More...

A couple years ago, I was curious about trying some of the organic face care brands recently populating the market. Plagued by skin problems for many years, I wanted to see if using ‘organic’ would make a difference—but there were so many different kinds, that I didn’t know where to begin in my quest.

    
Luckily, someone dropped the hint to Santa, and on Christmas morning, I was pleased to find an Alba Hawaiian skin care kit in my stocking. This was my first real test and as a result, I found a new friend in their face wash! Here’s a breakdown of my likes and dislikes in what I’ve tried so far. More...

I’ve always been a bit curious about these new gDiapers (Chinook Book coupon $2 off Starter Kit). No one I know uses them, so I decided to give them a trial run.  Using my five-month-old bambino as my tester, we picked up a Starter Pack from the local Fred Meyer.

Opening the box, you’ll find 2 outer covers, 4 inner diaper holders, a package of 10 diapers, dunk stick with suction hook and instruction book. So first off, let me say that the packaging is tidy. You don’t get extra plastic wrapping, just the basics, so as far as that goes, the product is super green. More...

I never started out thinking I was going to be a cloth diaper expert. I guess I thought cloth diapers were a pretty mainstream choice when I was pregnant with my first kid in 2004. But as it turns out getting info on cloth diapering options was almost impossible. Searching the web, I found myself wandering aimlessly. Another pregnant mom pointed me in the right direction and I have been happily using cloth diapers since.

Cloth diapers have made tremendous strides in just the past few years. There are so many choices now a new parent could easily feel overwhelmed. Here is a brief breakdown of the options.

First up, you have to choose between a diaper service and washing diapers at home. The main difference between the two is cost. It can cost about the same mount as disposables to have a diaper service ($.23-$.25 per diaper) but the convenience can make it worth the hefty price tag for some parents. In the Seattle area there are several diaper service options: Baby Diaper Service (click for the Chinook Book coupon for six weeks of service for $10/week) and Sunflower Diaper Service (206-782-4199). For those brave enough to wash at home, you will be doing a load of wash every second or third day depending on the age of your baby. Washing at home may sound daunting, but it is really quite easy, much cheaper than a service and heh, let's face it you are going to be doing more laundry anyway.

Another change in the world of cloth diapering has come from the advances in fabric. The plastic pants of years ago are no more. Now there are a multitude of choices and even colors and patterns. From all organic cotton and hemp diapers, to wool covers to the super easy, all-in-one (AIO) diapers, you can find a diaper system that fits your budget and style. In the Seattle area there are several work-at-home-moms who have their own diaper businesses and most of them are happy to meet with you to take you through your choices. Since cloth diapers can't be found at Whole Foods or Babies R Us, these hard working mamas are the best way to get your hands on some of these adorable and easy to use cloth diapers.

Finally, a word or two about diaper pins. Forget them. These days there is no need for diaper pins so have no fear that choosing cloth will put you or your precious one anywhere near a sharp pointed pin. Many diapers now come with snaps or Velcro™ that keep them in place around the baby, but there is also the wonderful invention of the Snappi ™. This marvelous device holds plain old flat diapers together with special gripping teeth and makes using cloth diapers easy and pin-free.

Whatever path you choose to diaper your baby, by going with cloth diapers you are making a bold statement about your commitment to green living, plus babies look so much cuter with little round padded butts.

Cloth Diaper Resources

Cozy Baby Boutique- Seatte Eastside

Baby’s Bottom Line- Seattle

Wai Baby- South Puget Sound

Diaper Pin- diaper reviews, information

Real Diaper Association- cloth diaper advocacy More...