Going Zero in Connecticut

My toothpaste was on its last drop, so it was time to finally research how to make effective zero-waste toothpaste! Enter Lauren Singer, the American guru of all hipster zero-wasters: A couple of notes on her recipe.. -I doubled this recipe, and therefor used about 40 drops of peppermint. 40 drops was TOO MUCH, and I think I would have preferred less, like 30 or even 20. So if you plan on doing this recipe, start with less and then you can add more. -It was a cold evening, and I found I couldn't mix all of the ingredients effectively. I was using the exact same ball jar that Lauren had, and I simply closed the lid tight, and ran the jar under hot water in my sink until the coconut oil melted a bit. That allowed me to mix everything together much easier. -She was right when she said it is a little saltier than what you are used to. That's the baking soda. I have also seen people add a few packets of Stevia powder, to mellow out the saltiness. I don't...

 Ladies and gentlemen, I just got back from Goodwill, and I'd love to show you a few of the things I got from my haul!  ( I DID buy that taco cat hat for a friend. It was brand new!)  Part of going zero waste is to not just refuse freebies and reduce our plastic or general consumption, but we also need to reuse what we have, or find something efficient to reuse that will be a smart purchase for the environment. I go to goodwill so I can find glass jar containers that will replace the plastic ones that leech chemicals into my food. Scientists already know this is happening, but they have not yet determined just how much chemicals are brought into the food when contained in plastic. They have already found microscopic plastic in our fresh water supplies, and even in our own bodies. Also, plastic is an eventual landfill destination, because what little percentage does get recycled usually gets downcycled into un-recyclable things, like a patio deck or carp...

This was the point where my zero waste journey crossed the threshold of "mild discomfort."  THE... LAST... PAPER... TOWEL!!!!!!   One American mother goes through these things like drinking water in a Sahara Desert! This was the one product that produced the most trash in my home. Only the Bounty brand would do, because it absorbs the most messes with the least amount of paper towel. As I inched closer to the last one in my house, 4, 3, 2....It was time to act, and to act QUICKLY if I was going to be serious about changing my life. If I was never going to buy another paper towel roll, not only did I have to construct the perfect substitute, but a system needed to be in place as well to store and clean them. Pinterest is the greatest thing since sliced bread (and I've been making sliced bread! More on that in a minute!). It is the place I love to go and snag ideas from the most creative of minds, and replicate it. In searching pinterest, I ...

I have decided to draw a line when it comes to zero-waste: I will not work with poop. Whenever I think about it, I cringe. It is just too much for me. So I won't be purchasing cloth diapers, instead I will keep to my beloved and trusty pampers disposables for one more year before I potty-train my youngest girl. I want to try to form some kind of compromise, however, and at least reduce the use of wet wipes. So I'd like to try out reusable wet wipes for wet diapers, instead of soiled ones. I'll have a little bucket on the floor for dropping the wipes into, and then I can wash them later. As to what kind of bucket, I'm still working on that thought. perhaps a small bin with a step lid. So I threw some cute wet wipes together! Got some cute flannel patterns (so I might enjoy using them a little more!) I used a Huggies wipe as a size template for what my reusables would look like. Cut them out...   Took my handy dandy serger, and whisked all the edges toget...

When I visited Italy, I must say, they knew how to purchase food. The Italian's refrigerators are nothing like the ones we have here; they are so small! What would they fit in there? Some cheese, milk, a little meat, and that's probably about it.  Instead of figuring out a meal plan for the next week or two like we Americans do, the Italians say "what will I make today?" They think about what they might like to cook that day, grab their produce bags and walk down the road to the local market. There, the Italians pick only the freshest of foods that have been harvested from nearby farms the day before. They go home, make their amazing dinners, and serve it to their families. Then they do this again the next day and the next. Maybe they will prepare meals two days ahead, but never a week. There is no need for a large refrigerator. Why do we think Italy's food is so delicious? I'll tell you the reason: it's because all their food is FRESH! (That, and...