Going Green :)

I don't know anything about that material. Sorry. But I can check with some other "greenies" I know. Personally, we use stainless steel with copper bottoms pans. The care is a little different. I don't wash them in the dishwasher. If you're just careful you're food won't stick. I love cooking so it's pretty easy. I just watch closely. But if you really want something nonstick ...off the bat it sounds good but I'd do research. B/c the nonstick eventually comes off (teflon) so its coming off in your food or when you wash. Let me see if I can find any info on the ones you're looking at.

Btw...emeril has GREAT pans

ETA: DId you read the reviews on the link? Some of them don't sound good.

Calia - I never knew anyone else who had used or tried this! My sister and I bought it last year, and she uses it exclusively. I tried, but could always feel it in there, even after trimming the handle thingy. Then I had trouble getting it out too. Perhaps I will try again next month...

 

There's also the mooncup and the keeper.

 

There's also washable pads (Lunapads is a good brand). I hate pads on a daily basis but I do have a couple of lunapads though that I use occassionally when my flow isn't heavy enough where I think I need a tampon overnight. I ended up buying disposible pads after Aiden was born because I couldn't keep up with the washing of the Lunapads I have. They are cute though!

 

I use Seventh Generation Tampons just because I could never get into the cups.

When I got mine I thought of posting but I thought for sure noone here uses them! I got all excited when I saw you had one! I had trouble at first too. I think b/c we're so used to tampons! But the consensus is it takes 2-3 cycles to get the hang of it. I'm on my 3rd. I didn't have to trim the thing at the bottom. But make sure you have the right size. Also on getting it out squeeze the bottom and then kind of bear down a bit and it pushes it right out. And make sure the holes at the top are clean when you put it back in. It helps!
I looked at the keeper and mooncup and read hundreds of reviews before deciding on the diva cup. But if one doesn't feel right I'd recommend trying the others.

And Jessica...I also love Lunapads! They are so freaking cute. And you just throw them in the wash! They have panty liners that are thinner and super soft. I hate sposie pads they feel like diapers!

Wow, way to go ladies! My mom is pretty hippie, so I was raised a greeny from the start. I feel pretty good about where we are now that we are in our own home (other than the fact that we built it new!).

 

Every thing about our home is energy efficient: appliances, light bulbs, the type of roofing & insulation we choose, as well as the tankless water heater.

 

My favorite - our compost heap! It's amazing to see how much vegetable waste comes out of your kitchen when you stop throwing it in the trash & start accumulating it in a pile. We throw our grass clippings in there as well.

 

It's funny that every one is saying Seattle is really green...I don't really feel that way. Our neighbors are HORRIBLE at recycling. One of them doesn't even have a recycling container! All of the others have the smallest one you can get. Meanwhile, we have the largest recycling container & the smallest trash container on the block.

 

My husband works for Coca Cola, and they just started getting green this year. But check this out: after 6 months, they are recycling 98% of all waste! Isn't that amazing? My hubby is one of the leads on this project, which I always giggle about because it was so hard to get him to buy into recycling in the begining of our relationship, now he's in charge of it for an entire facility LOL!

 

A new thing I'm doing is I joined a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) Farm. I am about to go pick up my weekly share right now.

My mom and sister did the CSA thing too. I can tell you one thing. This thread has opened my eyes to what I NEED to start doing. So thank you all for posting what you do! It is a good place to start realizing the things that I can be doing.

My FI said that we should start a compost pile. I am not sure what this consist of.

 

Do you keep it in a bag in your kitchen? Sorry for asking such a dumb question.

Yari I don't think that's dumb! The house we moved has a compost container in the back, but neither of us has ever composted so we aren't sure what to do with it. I remember using worms in elementary school to compost?!?!

I should add that our city is adding a green bin (for veggie waste) just for this reason in the next year or so

Compost piles are outside in your yard. Ours is under a tree in our backyard. Some people have like bins or rubbermaid thingers (huge ones). We don't. We just have it kinda marked off. Here is a link on how to do it.

How To Make Compost | eHow.com

Our compost pile, you can't tell its a compost. It just looks like a pile of soil. You usually use like grass clippings and brown leaves or things like that. We throw food in there like banana peels and orange peels and things like that. You can't throw meat in it though.