How are ya?

It’s been a whirlwind of busy around here but happy Thursday to ya!!

Were still experiencing triple digit temps and have been cooling off in the kiddie pool as you may have already noticed. hee, hee!

This post may be a little late but for us Summer isn’t over JUST yet. Besides, swim lessons start in just a couple weeks!!

Back up three years ago, when Tristan started swim lessons…

…as a green mama, I’d already thought about the reprecussions of using disposable diapers such as chlorine bleach used to dye the diapers (toxin), absorbent gels (toxin) plastic and human waste (#1 & #2) being thrown into landfills etc.  SO  after learning such repercussions we  turned to cloth diapers as an eco solution to help minimize our worry…

From CleanAir.org…

Diapers: An average child will use between 8,000 -10,000 disposable diapers ($2,000 worth) before being potty trained. Each year, parents and babysitters dispose of about 18 billion of these items. In the United States alone these single-use items consume nearly 100,000 tons of plastic and 800,000 tons of tree pulp. We will pay an average of $350 million annually to deal with their disposal and, to top it off, these diapers will still be in the landfill 300 years from now. Americans throw away 570 diapers per second. That’s 49 million diapers per day.

Holy dirty diapers, eco mama’s & papa’s …

…but then swim lessons … was there a waterproof diaper??

Come to find out … there are many solutions and making a decision wasn’t easy. As a first time mom, I had no idea what to expect with cloth. I was just going with my gut and doing what I thought was best for my son Tristan (the eco tot) and for the Earth.

When I finally made a choice of the i play swim diapers …  I loved the fact that my son could wear a cloth swim diaper that was made for water play & swimming without harming the planet. No worries of disposable plastic crud up against his skin either. These could be tossed right into the laundry to be washed over & over again. Plus, i play “swim dipes” are highly fashionable and spark up a conversation in an instant. 

Clark wearing i play swim shorts & a UV shirt! Natural born swimmer

This year we went to the local chlorine water park in town (our first visit) and the personnel were impressed by our swim dipes.

Upon entering the park we were handed a note which mentioned only “plastic diapers” are allowed on infants.

Usually it’s quite the contrary. When we signed the eco tot up for swim lessons the local pools policy was fitted cloth swim diapers only.

Nothing with absorbent  gels inside that can weigh baby down after being in the pool for awhile.

So, when we read the note we were a little surprised. The note almost made it seem like babies had to be in plastic diapers only because at some point it read ” approved plastic diapers” –  I had the paper note saved somewhere but couldn’t find it for this post… lame!

Anyway, we’d ended up going into guest services just to be sure are swim diapers were allowed and low and behold our swim diapers were approved. The women working in guest services actually commented on how nice and comfy they looked on Clark and said she didn’t even know they existed.

It was a great feeling knowing it was one less PLASTIC diaper going into the trash after a day of fun….hooray!

We’ve even traveled with the i play swim dipes to Hawaii and on camping trips-  so far, we’ve have had no problems with em’… loved the way they look on … love they way they hold up just like a “sposie”…& FTR, no problems in the poopsies department YET!

*holding my breath

I highly recommend i play swim diapers for your green/eco needs.

No, I’m not being paid to make the last statement.

These are my honest feelings about the swim diapers- figured; I’d put that out there, just in case some of you were curious. 

Imse Wimse- eh!

We also have a pair of the Imse Wimse; BUT they’re much, much thinner and not worth the investment in my leettle opinion. They have two side snaps at the hip which I didn’t find easy to put on a wiggly tot and the fit was a little funky in the private area… a little to airy fresh for me.

Wasn’t comfortable with these in case of acccidentes!  The i play swim diapers by far exceeded my expectations PLUS they’ve held up for Baby Clark our 16 month old! We have 2 pairs of the i play swim diapers and 2 pairs of shorts with matching UV shirts. Love em, love em’ love em!

Our i play dipes & shorts still look new which is an added bonus! YAY! for swim dipes an eco friendly alternative to plastic/sposies…ugh!

Of course, for regular water play the boys always run bare skivvies but for public places they’re a great solution.

Another reason I chose i play swim diapers is for all their wonderful fun prints. I’m mean seriously? Who doesn’t want their baby lookin’ somewhat stylish?!

Their stylish & NON TOXIC…that’s right… the outer shell of the i-play l is PVC & PHTHALATE FREE!

Reduce your pool footprint – GO reusable!

wOOt!

photo credits: UPCYCLED unlimited

Happy Friday!

The weekend is finally here … hooray!

This weeks feature is a funky, fresh and ECO  fabulous etsy seller…

with a knack for giving new life to items that might otherwise be tossed into a landfill…

such as the plates and cups used for the dessert tray featured above…

What an adorb upcycled treasure +  fancy reuse idea!!!

<3

“From Great Waste to Great Taste!”

Lauren Usher of UPCYCLED unlimited

is the crafty and creative artist behind all the work…

be sure to also visit her BLOG too!

NOW for a  little upcycled fashion porn…

(click on image for larger view)

love LOVE love!!!

don’t u?

from potholders to place mats to ties to buttons & belts

unique and one of a kind eco friendly purses, accessories, jewelry +decor

re purposed  just for YOU!

I heart finding uber fresh upcycled and recycled goods.

makes me all giddy inside …

delighted to share the green 411 with ya!

have a wonderful weekend!!

support handmade.

Support a Motivated Hippy!

peace. love. & happiness.

Hi there, dear readers!

How are ya?

So far so good here. Thank goodness!

I know, I’ve mentioned it this on the blog before but our three year old, Tristan, (the eco tot) has dry skin. We aren’t sure if it’s related to food or whether it’s just dry skin – eczema. We’ve dealt with this since he was 3 months old.  Dry skin issues seem to run on both sides so it would make sense, he may have a sensitivity. Though, I’ve done lot’s of research and found out that excemza/dry skin can be food related. According to the Smart Medicine for a Healthier Child book  foods such as dairy, wheat, eggs, chocolate can all aggravate dry skin and cause flare ups.

Flare ups are when the skin becomes irritated, red and inflamed. We’ve noticed lately that when Tristan has these foods mentioned above he  get’s flare ups. We haven’t quite figured out the culprit…leaning more towards wheat/dairy. In any case, we’ve been TRYING to do an elimination test but other factors and such have prevented us from really going through with it. It can get pretty tricky, especially since wheat. dairy and eggs seem to be in everything.

Once we realized he had dry skin, we’ve done everything possible to help it. We try to go the natural route as much as possible rather than rub him down with creams that are filled with toxic substances. These products may help temporarily but in the long run I’m not comfortable using them knowing their effects.  Not cool and so, so, important to me since our skin is the largest organ!

I know, it’s been awhile since I’ve written about his dry skin issues but our we always try to make sure there’s ground oatmeal in his bath along with soaps that fragrance and JUNK FREE. The milled oatmeal helps the itch and soothes the skin. We religiously rub him down with a 50/50 mix of coconut oil and EVOO but have recently switched to the Calendula oil I made him, which seems to have it’s place but is not getting rid of the problem. Going the natural route can be a science experiment but I truly enjoy figuring out these processes and coming up with a safe and effective solution …an all natural one!

Before, I get to riled up about this subject on this beautiful EARLY Thursday AM.

I’ll leave you with the recipe I came up with.

Dry Skin Salve

What you’ll need:

Infused oil; I used a homemade oil, I made from the Calendula flowers in our garden

Grated beeswax; local if possible!

Calendula petals from 2 flowers

Milled oatmeal (put rolled oats into your blender and whirl away-simple!)

Measuring cups

Plate

A double boiler

(Or med. size pot filled a quarter of the way- set a fitted glass bowl )

Short wide mouth jar

Directions:

Gather your materials and assemble your equipment. Note ratio: four parts oil to one part beeswax! Next, pour oil into top of double boiler/glass bowl set over hot not simmering – water and heat just until warm. Slowly add most of the grated beeswax and stir until melted then add in additional two ingredients. When you’ve added most of the beeswax, drop a spoonful of the mixture onto a plate and let cool to room temperature. It should be soft enough to scoop from a jar but frim enough to hold together well.  It it’s too runny, continue to add beeswax until it reaches the desired consistency. Remove from the heat. If desired, add 5 to 20 drops of essential oil.

Now carefully pour the hot liquid into jars and cover with lids. Label the jars with the date and contents and store them in a cool, dark place away from all light. If carefully stored, the salve will keep for at least a year.

Is it working?

So far the salve seems to be helping the eco tot out a lot. It helps stop the itching and soothes the skin plus the beeswax provides a nice shield through out the day. It’s only been about 2 weeks, so, it’s still pretty early, I’d say. I’d show you pictures of a before and after of the flare up’s but the area that’s most affected are his poor little bunzola’s!! LOL!

The back of his neck bothers him the most but when the homemade salve is applied we notice the itching subsides as well as the redness. I really like the feel and smell of this salve and the first day we rubbed it on the the eco tot said “this stuff feels GOOD.” That made me super happy.

I thought about adding in an essential oil… an anti -fungal &  antibacterial one …like clove or tea-tree but decided I would leave it fragrance free the first go. Eczema is related to fungus like thrush and other yeast causing issues. So, if your little one, suffers from dry itchy skin; you may want to considering cutting out foods that feed yeast.

As far as, dairy, wheat and eggs go… we’ve been on and off the elimination test… mostly due to outside influences BUT we have been paying attention a lot  more, if nothing else. This past week, we’ve really buckled down and hope to get the rest of our family on board with this issue so that we can get to the core of the problem.

Anywho, the boys are up from the naps. If you make this, come back and let me know, how you did.

Would love to hear about your experience.

Oh, and I love putting some of the homemade salve on my lips too- (stay tuned for a beeswax lip balm recipe, next!!!)

What have you been up to? Do you have experience making your own homemade salves or oils?

Spill… enquiring minds want to know. haha!!  

We’ve been crafting during the hottest parts of the day usually between 1-3pm. It really just depends on nap, lunch, what were doing at the time… etc.

Really quickly…

Did you know, it’s National Pollinator’s week?

buzz, buzz!

On Wednesday we made a bee using construction paper and also purchased beeswax from the local honey guy.

Later that evening I made a salve from the beeswax. Even the local beekeeper believes in upcycling!

Anywho!

Thought you’d like to know about a fun site called Craft Gossip which features some pretty groovy Recycled Crafts...

A few fun upcycled inspirations…

-    A bunch of pretty designs made from recycled paper tubes

-     Recycle plastic bags into super cute iron on images

-     How to make a new credenza from an old dresser

-    An oh so pretty new spin on a classic recycling project-tinted jar votives

What have you been up to this week?

Any fun crafting???

C’mon spill!! Love hearing your thoughts.

Have a great weekend!

Hope you all have a great weekend. TGIF!

I’m sure many of you, like myself, have wondered what to do with an item… as in how to reduce, reuse and recycle it!

you know; commit an eco action and feel like a planet saving hero…right? Right!

Today’s,  planet saving hero, is a friend of mine; whom I had pleasure of meeting on twitter.

His name is Mike, otherwise known as Canarsie BK across the web … he’s down to earth… AND

he’s determined to show you just how easy it is to go green… all year long.

His non intimidating sustainable acts prove eco friendly can be simple & fun.

Be sure to follow Mike’s journey and get an eco glimpse of his 365′in ways filled with plenty of fantastic 3R’s (green) ideas.

Today, he uses a tea bag to clean tiles... check it out!

chocolate mint rooibos & mango rooibos iced tea!

Hola!

How are things with everyone??

I heart the summertime. It just brings out the best in everyone/everything!

It also leaves you feeling thirsty on some days. I’m a tea lover … hot tea, cold tea…but I mainly stick to herbal teas and every once in awhile will treat myself to a chai (black) tea. Oh, okay and coffee too! I’m no saint. But, I’ve recently learned about an awesome alternative to coffee… more on that in a sec!

What I love about the summer is you can utilize the sun for many things and one way I find the sunny sun helpful is to brew up a pitcher of tea. Yep, that’s right. Use the sun to make iced tea. This method is so fun and satisfying. It doesn’t take long for a pitcher of water that contains fresh herbs, dried herbs,  dried fruit, or  tea bag (your choice) to warm up.  I usually like to put in orange slices or lemon slices but I was out of both the other day.

It’s approximately 2-3 hours before you can enjoy a fresh cup of iced tea. I usually put about a tsp. to one cup of fresh/dried herbs/dried fruit and follow the directions on the box for tea bags.

It’s so worth it to try this method +you’ll be saving energy while you’re at it. Bonus points, from Mother Earth.  Just find a great sunny spot in your yard for the pitcher, cover the top with a lid and walk away. You’ll have sun tea in no time.

Oh boy! Yes, I know my life is boring…I get kicks off of freshly solar brewed iced tea.

What can I say…I’m an eco geek! lol!

I also really enjoy water with lemon just as much and in the summer time with all the fresh fruit. I love, love, having a pitcher around with fresh fruit slices marinating in it. It’s the best ever.

And the other day while I was perusing the bloggy blogs I found an awesome giveaway for a fruit infusion pitcher. I wish for one of these bad boys…a kitchen must have in my opinion!

Oh and while I’m linking up… I forgot to mention this fabby giveaway on this weeks Meatless Monday’s post! I was drooling over Ani’s new book the other day while at Barnes & Noble. I had to keep my impulses in check.

Anywho…

I FINALLY had the chance to pick up some teeccino (prounounced teaCHIno).

Teeccino is a coffee alternative…tastes, brews, and looks just like the real deal but instead of the caffeine high you’ll get and herbal high. No, it doesn’t contain any of that silly stuff  but it does have various other herbs in it which are much easier on the adrenal system system than coffee.

It’s marvy. I highly recommend it!! It’s great for pregnant and nursing mother’s too.

Here’s a little info from the brochure I picked up at the natural foods store:

- gluten free

- non acidic

- natural energy boost

- prebiotic

- naturally caffeine free + more great benefits!!

I’ve been whipping up iced coffees lately and using Hazelnut coconut creamer by So Delicious (dairy free)… da bomb, just sayin’!!!

I must say, it did give me a little pep in my step without the jitters which is always a good thing.

Have you tried Teeccino?

What about sun tea… have you done it yet, this summer?

It definitely keeps me smiling… what about you… what’s making you smile lately?

Photo credit: David Blackwell

Hi there, ladies and gents!

How are ya? So glad were halfway through the week. Feels good.

Yesterday, I attempted to locate a cherry pitter at a couple antique shops in town but no such luck! I’m still going to keep my eyes (and ears) open…cuz, ya never know!

In any case, the hubby was kind of enough to pit all the cherries for me last night so I could get a few other things done in the kitch. I’ve got quite a few plans for those lovely cherries ….now it’s time to pick and choose (no pun intended) lol! I’m so lovin’ this summer weather.

Speaking of which, I finally dug out my skirts and all I want to do is dance around to Tom Petty, Janis Joplin and The Beatles…oh! and maybe a  little reggae too; Bob Marley, Ziggy, and Peter Tosh… just gettin’ my groove on. Feels good to move the body and swing my hips. Makes me want to get dolled up and bust moves on the dance floor. Instead, I do that here at midnight while gettin’ er done… so to speak…AND that could include a bijillion things. *wink, wink*

But, sadly Monday night, it wasn’t anything as exciting as one might think…our drain was clogged and we need to unclog it (procrastination is a bugger). A different kind of whirling around was about to go down…without chemicals, without nasty residues being left behind, without harming the environment, without harming the tots…etc., etc., etc.,

all natural…good for you green!!

Of course, dearest decides the best time to perform an eco friendly quick fix is before bath time but quickly starts hemming and hawing. I wouldn’t of wanted clear out all the nasties like hair build up and what have ya, either. But, don’t get me wrong if either… I would of done if necessary and definitely would of felt more comfy knowing it wasn’t going to be a toxic deed either. A friend of mine who was into natural remedies and frugal living shared a homemade draino recipe awhile back….

I wish I could find the tiny piece of paper with the recipe but I searched and searched and alas could not! wah!

I know the recipe by heart because it’s something we’ve had to do in the past. I’ve also used a green brand too called Earthworm and have written about it here!

NON TOXIC RECIPE

1 cup of baking soda

1 cup of salt

1 cup of distilled vinegar

Directions:

Begin by removing gunk and hair using a pair of tweezers or whatever you find suitable. Next pour in baking soda and salt down into drain. Dump vinegar after that and wait to hear the fizzing stop. Turn water on HOT and allow to run down drain for a few minutes. You may need to plunge if just the recipe by itself doesn’t work. Plunge and repeat the steps until drain has cleared.

It takes about 3 attempts and but works like a charm every time.

Simple & Green…. baking soda and vinegar are pretty much my hero’s!

What home concoctions do you use in your home?

Photo credit: Gingerbread Snowflakes

Howdy!

It’s Friday ….hip, hip, hooray!

How about a little Friday crafty, upcycled & recycled summer F-U-N…

Earthdiva’s Blog:  Recycle Your Flip Flops

Dollar Store Crafts: Recycle Canisters into an Adorable Mushroom Village

The Crafty Crow: Homemade Bubble Wands

Martha Stewart: Elephant Feet

re-nest: A Great Way To Reuse A Toilet Paper Roll

& check out Inhabitot’s 2010 Spring Greening Contest winners!

Have a marvy weekend, friends!

Today, I present you with an awesome interview from one of RYD’s newest sponsors …

Please welcome the The Eco Luxe Life shop!  Yay!!

Sydne Garchick from “TELL”  recently took some time out , to do a little Q & A , just for Recycle Your Day, readers  …

Who is The Eco Luxe Life?

How did The Eco Luxe Life get started?

Life, really.  My partners and I loved shopping but really had started to turn to greener products over the years, mostly for health reasons.  The problem was that we really couldn’t find one location to find everything we could possibly want where we didn’t have to compromise on quality or style.  We wanted the jewelry to be chic and fun, not necessarily hippie granola and made of hemp (although my entire opinion of hemp has completely changed after seeing some of our vendor’s products). We wanted the cosmetics to work as well as their toxic counterparts and our clothing and household needs to have less of an impact on our health and the environment.  We searched and searched, but couldn’t find what we were looking for. So we decided to just make it ourselves! Girls love to be the envy of their friends and find new, cool products. We love that we can do it for a living!

What is The Eco Luxe Life’s mission?

Just make one change.  I know that sounds cliche, but it really starts there.  We all buy new sunscreen every Spring.  Try an all natural one this year.  When you run out of Windex, buy a plant based glass spray. We did this thing in our office called the Lipstick Test.  The challenge is to use an all natural lip gloss or lipstick for two weeks and then try and go back to your original chemically filled one.  We promise you will be surprised by the results! You’ll never buy a Chanel lip gloss again. No matter what you try or where you start, your body will thank you.

Fill us in on your “inTell” member program; why a $25 dollar fee?

When we began our quest, and to this day, we found that eco and green was not easily accessible in most local stores.  For example, we are just seeing Seventh Generation take up space on our grocer’s shelves.  This company has been around for many many years.  So, you can only imagine what it could take small local companies to get their products out to the masses.  Therefore, we have created a sample program that highlights all sorts of amazing eco products so you can have an eco boutique in your own home.  The samples range the lifestyle spectrum so you can “try before you buy” and avoid spending money on products you aren’t sure about.  We actually just about break even on the sample pack program.  The sample packs are pretty expensive to ship because of their weight. So, after the shipping, and usually helping our vendors pay for samples to be made, we make only a few dollars for the hours and hours we spend packaging the products and acquiring them from our vendors.

Why is the Mother Earth important to The Eco Luxe Life gals?

Our parents always told us to treat others as we would like to be treated.  We kind of feel the same way about the Earth.  We wouldn’t go to a dinner party, trash the other person’s home and then leave.  So, why would we do that to the planet?  We have beautiful surroundings and it is important to us to keep them that way.  Simple as that.

Just for kicks: