Could you live a life without...

…toilet paper? What do you think? Could you do your daily, uh, “business” without that faithful roll of TP?

Right now we’re in the throes of potty-training and I can’t remember the last time I wasn’t forced to watch Elmo’s Potty Time at some point during the day. I’m thankful at least for the instructional reinforcement Elmo provides, and it could always be worse – it could be Barney! In the video Elmo teaches children the finer points of using the potty, including the all-important steps of wiping yourself with toilet paper and flushing the toilet after you’re done. There’s even a little vignette showing how toilet paper is made in the factory, complete with a rap song to explain it all. Suffice it to say toilet paper gets discussed a lot in this video. So when we sit baby girl on the potty, I try to follow Elmo’s steps to the letter. I let her do her thing, wipe her with toilet paper after she’s done, and clean her up. But as you know, she’s cloth-diapered, and when I change her diaper I always use a cloth wipe. As I was changing her diaper this morning it occurred to me, why don’t I use cloth for myself when I use the potty?

Oh, don’t look at me like that! It’s a valid question. Part of the reason for this blog is to chronicle my efforts at living a greener and less-wasteful life, finding ways to be kinder to the planet in my everyday living and parenting. Well, this is an area for possible improvement, don’t you think? A whopping 98% of toilet paper in America comes from virgin wood, according to The Guardian – that’s a lot of trees! In fact, toilet paper is very much an American convention. Take a trip overseas and most people use bidets or another form of water-based cleansing. We Americans, however, spend $6 billion a year on TP, with the average American using 50 pounds of the stuff per year (thanks for the stats, Mental Floss!). And have you gone to the store lately to buy toilet paper? I cringed the last time I saw the prices! I have a hard time paying so much for something that I’m intentionally going to desecrate. It makes no sense.

So I issued myself a challenge. Since the baby gets her butt wiped with cloth, so will I. For her, we usually keep some wipes soaked in water and a small drop of baby wash in a container. I, too, will keep some pre-moistened wipes on hand in our own bathroom. I’ll use a small wet bag from Bummis – similar to the ones we keep dirty diapers in when we travel – to store all my dirty wipes (SHAMELESS PLUG: These wet bags are available at Goo Goo Gaia).

As for washing, they’ll go right in the wash with the baby’s diapers. I’m going to try this for a week and check back in to share my experiences. I’m not saying that this is going to be easy or that it isn’t at least a tiny bit cuckoo. But it’s worth a try, right? One less tree has to die and I get to keep my money in my pocket.

So, what do you think… could you go without TP?

Goo Goo Gaia Give-Aways -- Earth Mama Angel Baby Gift Pack

This give-away is for all the mamas (and non-mamas, too). Because women usually take care of themselves last, we're going to take care of you. Enter for a chance to win an Earth Mama Angel Baby gift pack, including:

• Happy Feet Organic Herbal Foot Soak
• Earth Mama Body Butter
• Peaceful Mama Tea

This is a $40 gift pack and we're giving it away for FREE!

We're conducting this give-away on Facebook. Here's how to enter:

• First, become a fan of Goo Goo Gaia on Facebook (kudos to you if you already are!)
• Second, make this blurb your status message: I'm a @Goo Goo Gaia HOT MAMA! Now, don't copy-and-paste it. You have have to type it out exactly like it is. Why, you ask? Because when you start typing the "@" sign followed by "Goo Goo Gaia", you'll see a drop-down menu show up with our page listed. Be sure to click the Goo Goo Gaia page from this drop-down list (this is called "tagging"). Remember, the "@" sign must be typed in front of "Goo Goo Gaia" with no spaces. Once you've tagged us, come back to our page and let us know you've entered. If the tag isn't created on your page, however, we can't enter you in the contest :-(
• Bloggers -You have more chances to win! Just create an entry in your blog about our give-away and include a link to our blog. We'll enter you in the contest! Make sure you come back to our blog and tell us you've entered in the comments section so we can properly credit you for your entry.
• Contest ends March 6th. We'll select the winner randomly from those who've participated. You can enter multiple times throughout the week, but only once a day. The more times you enter, the greater your chances!

Good luck, and take care of yourselves!

You mean I can get paid for using reusable bags?

My baby girl has been sick lately. She’s had some nasty stomach bug that’s been giving her problems for about a week now, which has made changing her diaper *sarcasm alert* an absolute joy! The BRAT diet only worked marginally, and she’s about sick to death of eating rice at this point anyway. So it was time to visit to our beloved pediatrician. The doctor gave her a prescription which we filled at the CVS across the street. While we were there I decided to pick up a few toiletries and brought them to the check-out counter, where I saw something that interested me. CVS is now giving shoppers an incentive to bring their own reusable bags. It’s called the Green Bag Tag™ and you use it in conjunction with your CVS ExtraCare card. You buy the tag for 99 cents and attach it to your reusable bag (which can be any bag, even a reused plastic shopping bag). When you shop, the cashier scans your bag tag as well as your ExtraCare card and with every fourth visit you earn $1 in Extra Bucks. Adding to the environmental friendliness of it all, the tag is made of renewable corn-based material. Apparently they've been doing this for a few months now, but the store near our house either isn't doing it or hasn't introduced it yet, so I never knew about it until yesterday.

You might question whether this is just another form of “greenwashing” – you know, another company playing on the environmental sensibilities of its customers in order to make more money. Well, yes, I’m sure this new effort will bring in a lot of extra cash to the business since they’re charging a small fee for the tags and they’ll presumably save money on the cost of single-use plastic bags. But personally, I’m all for it. For people like me who frequent CVS (we go at least twice a week) it works because the tag will pay for itself pretty quickly. And after that, any amount of money I can save – however small that is – is helpful to my family’s budget. Those dollars add up over time! Plus the promotion will likely get more people to use reusable bags and possibly reduce the amount of litter caused by plastic ones.

For a while now, stores have given small discounts to their customers for bringing their own bags. Most grocery stores in our area do this, as does my favorite store, Tar-jhay (Target). Washington, DC recently started imposing a tax on single-use plastic and paper shopping bags. The tax funds city efforts to clean up the Anacostia River, for which the number 1 pollutant is plastic shopping bags. While I appreciate the effort on the part of the city of Washington, I’m not crazy about the tax because it makes the health of the river dependent on the very thing that’s hurting it the most. And does the government have to tax everything? Eh, I guess that’s a conversation best reserved for another blog.

At any rate, I’m happy that CVS has instituted this campaign. I most appreciate when businesses adopt holistically green practices such as powering their stores with renewable energy sources, stocking fair-trade merchandise, etc. But I commend CVS for doing something, anything, to help its customers live and shop more responsibly. Hopefully I won't have to use my Green Bag Tag™ to pick up any more prescriptions for sick babies in the near future.

Baby, It's COLD Outside!

For the second time in less than a week, the DC area has been hit with a major snow storm. Scratch that... there is a full-blown BLIZZARD going on outside! We've barely left the house since Friday evening and everything is shut down. Thankfully, we stocked up on food and our electricity hasn't gone out.

The blizzard combined with a financial fast my family has embarked upon for the month of February (we can only spend money on essentials and have to give up luxuries like eating out) means that we have to cook, whether we like it or not. Sadly, I can't remember when we last cooked this often, which I know is bad because it's so much healthier to prepare your food at home. But when you're a busy family, it gets a little difficult sometimes. The fast and the storm have been helping us get back to basics.

In the spirit of keeping warm and cozying up with food and family, I'd like to share a recipe for my favorite cold-weather comfort food: Vegetarian Chili!

3 tablespoons of olive oil
1 medium-sized onion, diced
1 package of Morningstar Farms® Meal Starters™ Grillers® Recipe Crumbles™
2 cups of cooked kidney beans
4 cups of crushed tomatoes
1 small can of green chilies or 2 fresh serrano peppers (with or without the seeds), chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
3 tablespoons of chili powder
1 teaspoon of cumin
1 teaspoon of cayenne pepper
1 cup of water
Kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste

In a dutch oven or deep skillet, heat the oil and sauté the onions until they're translucent. Add the recipe crumbles and sauté until they're thawed, seasoning with salt and pepper if desired. Add the beans, crushed tomatoes, chilies, and garlic. Stir in the chili powder, and add the cumin, cayenne pepper, salt, and pepper to your liking. Add the water and bring to a boil. Let it boil for about a minute. Turn the heat to low and let it simmer for about an hour. You can sneak in a few tastes along the way and season as you desire.

This chili goes great with cornbread or rice. Even though it's a little bit spicy my 17-month-old daughter loves it, which surprises me because she NEVER let me eat anything spicy when I was pregnant! I hope you enjoy it as much as our family does. Stay warm!

Rebirth

Wow, it feels like forever since I’ve stepped into the blogosphere! Initially, it started out as a case of really bad blogger’s block, but eventually a wonderful idea came to me. Because raising an earth-conscious child had become such a passion of mine, I decided to open my own cloth diaper and natural parenting boutique.  When I found that many of my friends were coming to me for advice on cloth diapering and eco-friendly living, I figured it was a logical step. So, I proudly introduce you to…

Goo Goo Gaia – Cloth Diapers and Natural Parenting
www.googoo-gaia.com

INER-G will still be my own blog chronicling my attempts at living and parenting “green.” But it will also serve as the companion blog for Goo Goo Gaia, and it will be here that I announce promotions, new products, giveaways, and other things of interest to our customers. I invite everyone to visit our store and sign up for an account. In fact, if you do I will send you a coupon code for 10% off your next order! See, you’re saving money and the planet already!

Thank you in advance for supporting us. We’re family-run and still growing, so we appreciate your business and your prayers. Be blessed!

Your kid's a what-a-tarian?

My daughter recently had her 9-month Well Baby check-up. Where those 9 months went so fast, I have no idea. But I'm happy to say she's right on target with her growth and meeting her milestones. Her motor skills are developing nicely and she is at a very healthy weight. I had those common parent questions for her pediatrician. When do we start brushing teeth? How many BMs should she be having a day? When do we introduce the sippy cup? How much should we be feeding her? The doctor patiently and thoroughly answered all of my questions. And then we talked about Layla's diet.

I'm a vegetarian and have been one for 17 years now. I was not raised a vegetarian, however. Ironically, I was the queen of meat for a very long time. No hamburger was ever safe around me! But when I became a teenager I decided to try my hand at vegetarianism. Initially it was for the challenge, but when I researched how animals were treated in the processing of meat and the effect it has on our bodies and the environment, my resolve to put off meat was strengthened. No more hamburgers for me, not the beef kind at least. Over half a lifetime later, I'm now a mom and it is my preference that my daughter also abstain from meat. Now, I know someone in our family is going to offer the girl a chicken bone or something, and while I'm not totally fine with that I don't think I'm inclined to freak out about it either. But as far as everyday living is concerned, I do want my daughter's diet to be vegetarian. With all the hormones they pump into food these days, I'm really not trying to buy my child's first training bra when she's 5 years old! My husband is a meat-eater and is concerned about Layla's protein intake. Honestly, I am, too. Like I said, I wasn't raised vegetarian so I don't know what it's like to feed a small child vegetarian food when they are already notoriously finicky at that age. Getting them to eat balanced meals is difficult enough without dietary restrictions.

I looked to her pediatrician for advice on the subject. Firstly, I'd hoped she'd validate my wishes for Layla's diet and allay the fears of other family members concerned about proper nutrition. Secondly, I needed some direction on what foods to introduce and when. She was so reassuring and totally supportive of this choice. She said that we already consume too much animal protein as it is and gave serving suggestions, like cooking beans a little longer than normal so that the skins are softened and easier for Layla to chew. She said soy was okay, but to introduce it over a period of a couple of days to make sure Layla isn't allergic. Nuts are a no-go until she's a year old, and after that we can give her soy, almond, or rice milk. I feel really blessed to have such a supportive pediatrician for Layla.

I know there are people all over the world who raise vegetarian children. But it's not entirely easy when everyone -- and I mean EVERYONE -- around you eats meat and feeds it to their kids. I imagine we'll have to endure questions about how we feed her and if we're giving her all that she needs. But she's perfectly healthy and incredibly smart, so I'm expecting that her development will speak for itself.

Taking a lesson from the Boy Scouts

My husband recently had a birthday and the family celebrated by going out to eat at one of his favorite restaurants. When we got to the place I looked in the diaper bag to get Layla's dinner and to my horror I had forgotten to pack it! With few options, I found myself hoofing it through Chinatown in DC, trying to find a drug store or grocery market where I could buy some baby food. When I finally found one they had all of three baby food options -- and as you can imagine I could forget about finding anything organic or all-natural. I eventually gave up, bought some Cheerios and applesauce, and headed back to the restaurant.


One of the first and most important lessons I learned when I became a mother and when I embarked on living a greener life is that our obsession with convenience in this society is a tree-hugging mom's worst enemy. Natural, organic, and non-toxic options don't often abound when you're out, even in a progressive metro area like this one. It pays to be prepared. Yeah yeah, I know that's advice suitable for all aspects of life, but it's especially pertinent now that I have an unpredictable child and am picky about how I care for her. I decided to list a few things I simply can't leave home without because I likely won't find them easily in stores if I forget them. In Layla's baby bag, you'll usually find:

Happy Baby Organic Puffs -- Layla mastered the pincher grasp a few weeks ago and can now feed herself (yay!), but even before then these were her favorite things in the world to chew, next to mommy's locs. I like to have these on hand because she's teething and prefers textural foods. so when the baby food runs out and she still wants to much, these are perfect. And they're organic!
Gerber Organic Baby Food -- We're loving on green beans, apples, and pears mostly.

bumGenius One-Size Pocket Diaper -- I like to use these diapers for outings because I never know when I'll get to change her while we're out. These have a fleece lining that wicks away moisture into a removeable insert. Layla can wet these a few times and not have the discomfort of feeling it. So I have a much happier baby when I'm running errands. bumGenius Flannel Baby Wipes -- In addition to using cloth diapers, we also use cloth wipes. Personally, I don't bother with the fancy wipe solutions some manufacturers sell. I just put a small drop of baby wash and some water in a zip bag and soak the wipes in that. It's gentle on Layla's skin and one cloth wipe goes so much further than one disposable wipe. And I also use them to wipe her face or nose and to wipe my hands if I can't get to a bathroom sink.

Wahmies Wet Bag -- This is where I stash dirty diapers, soiled clothes, and used wipes until I can get them home to wash them. The inside is made of PUL and it zips closed, keeping odors and fluids in. And those are sock monkeys on the bag. I'm not even going to tell you what I thought they were at first. *hmpf*
The Diva Cup -- Obviously for me, because you just never know. Before I got pregnant my cycle was like clockwork. I always knew when to expect it. Now because I'm nursing it's all over the place, and I expect it to be that way at least until I wean Layla. So, while I make sure she's covered, I gotta make sure I'm covered as well.

Aside from some other basics like hand sanitizer and extra socks, these are some of my diaper bag essentials. If any one of these things is missing when we go out, then it's not a good time.