So I am one of the few people that I know that is actually concerned about global warming....I am trying to find ways to "go green" and conserve, but I'm realizing it's tough!!

What are you doing to go green? So far I am switching out my lightbulbs with compact fluorescents, unplugging electronics and appliances when not in use, and cutting back my use of heating and A/C. I've also changed my work schedule to work longer days, so there are less days each week that I'm driving a long distance to and from work.

I try to do a number of things:
-recycle everything that I possibly can. It constantly amazes me how many people just throw cardboard and paper into the dumpster when it is so easy to recycle it.
-buy rechargeable batteries along with a charger. The charger does not cost much, and you get so much more mileage out of your batteries that way. Plus, more stores are accepting them for recycling now.
-Only run the heater in the winter when it is absolutely necessary. Use heavier blankets and bundle up the rest of the time. Keeping the shades open during the day so the sun can absorb through helps a lot too.
-Only do laundry when you have a full load to wash to save water and detergent.
-bought a water filter for the kitchen tap.

The one thing that I wish I could do is have a greener car, but that's not in the cards right now. I hate having to drive over 50 miles a day to get to and from work, and I'm spending so much on gas right now.
So, I try to cut down on the number of errands I run too.

Jenn: I have a long drive to work as well. I would love to find something closer to home, but luckily I drive a Honda Civic and it was just voted one of the top ten "green" cars, so I feel a little better about it!

I am also trying to recycle. It's frustrating that the county I live in doesn't have a recycling center (it's a very rural, farm area) so I save everything up and go out on my lunch break to a recycling center near work. I think you are right, so many people don't recycle when it's easy to do if you have a center nearby.

-when you go grocery shopping or even clothes shopping in a department store, bring your own totes to store everything once its paid for. Cuts down on extra bags around the house, and less plastic ending in the garbage.

-Carpool. My family is also getting in the habbit of asking each other if there's anything one may need at a particular store they may be going to, in order to cut back on wasting gas.

-Recycle paper. WOW! At the end of the semester there is a biig stack of draft essays, printed powerpoints, etc on printer paper. I've gathered all these "used" papers and now print on the backs of them when its something that doesn't need to be handed in to be graded.

-I've also asked my school to start using e-mail more/wikis to either post assignments or just send word docs through e-mail to save ink and paper. This way, the assignment still gets completed and graded, but I dont get my physical paper back. A few classes have adapted this more. :)

It's funny, so much of the stuff that my mom pounded into me and my sister's heads when we were little--out of frugalness--is now all trendy and green. ;)

* ignore the phrase 'disposable' --I wash plastic cups, drinking straws, etc. and reuse grocery bags for all sorts of stuff (that's why I haven't bought those "green" grocery bags yet---then I'd have to buy trash bags, cat box liners, etc).
* only run the washing machine/dishwasher when it's full, and don't bother with hot water when washing clothes unless I'm washing something that needs to be sanitized.
* turn off the faucet when I brush my teeth...turn off lights when I leave the room...check for drafts...
* run the heat only when necessary (I use the heat probably 5x per winter--it makes me feel better about using the a/c more!) and get a programable thermostat.
* My commute to work is only 3 miles (going to get longer soon though, sob), and I drive a Honda Civic...and I do my best not to drive in rushhour, I'd practically watch my fuel gage drop to "E" before my eyes if I did!
* I changed out all my lightbulbs when I moved into my new place

I'm trying to reduce my footprints as well but it is hard sometimes.

I try to do the following:

-Recycle everything I can, including paper from school work.
-Try not to print if not necessary
-Print on both sides when possible
-Reuse used paper (i.e. print drafts on the other side; cut up and use as scrap paper)
-Use cloth to clean rather than paper towels
-Try to get more natural cleaning products (i.e. clean microwave with lemon juice; use baking soda to scrub, use Dr. Bronner's soap to clean, etc)

-Wash and reuse plastic food/take out containers. Some of them are really nice (basically tupper ware). It would be a shame to toss them.
-Use water filter so we don't have to buy bottled water
-Bring my own water bottle and refill.

-Recycle plastic bags - They don't have a collection, but you can take them to your local supermarket. They have a bin for plastic bags.
-Reuse plastic bags
-Repurpose wrapping paper
-Avoid getting a bag at the store if not needed (I put it in my backpack or carry it out without bag.
-Reuse paper bags to hold paper recyclables.

-Use the energy efficient bulbs
-Use Energy efficient washer and dryer
-Buy stuff in bulk to reduce packaging
-Refill products when can, rather than buy another package (that's sort of when buying in bulk helps)
-Buy concentrated soaps etc (it's smaller packaging for the same amount)
-Turn off unnecessary lights and appliances
-Installed motion sensor lights for outside
-Turn down heat (just dress a little more warmly at home).
-Turn down heat more when not home and when sleeping (comforter and DH will keep me warm :) )
-Avoid turning on AC - We bought a fan that circulates air efficiently. If it's really hot, we might turn on the AC for a little while and use the fan to circulate the cool air.

-Try not to drive when I can walk. Good exercise too.

Anyway, those are what I can think of off the top of my head. I've actually sent e-mails to a few companies requesting that they reconsider their packaging and/or offer refills. Some are really ridiculously wasteful in packaging. I've also contacted companies that shipped teeny little things in monster sized boxes. It's crazy. You would think they would at least want to save on postage as the packaging adds weight, etc. :confused:

My family has fairly good gas efficient cars. A 2008 Honda Civic and a 2006 Accord. I take quick showers, my mom had us switch all the light bulbs. When we go driving we make several stops during one trip. We always recycle. My brother makes me angry sometimes cause he is ignorant to stuff like this. He takes 30 minute long showers everyday, sometimes 2 a day. He leaves his computer and light on when he leaves the house for several hours at a time. He drives around places for no good reason. I'm always yelling at him.:p

It's funny, so much of the stuff that my mom pounded into me and my sister's heads when we were little--out of frugalness--is now all trendy and green. ;)



lol! I agree. A lot of what I do was learned from parents (dh's parents are the same way). Both our parents came to the US with barely anything so being wasteful was not an option.

So I would probably be "green" regardless of trend. But I am more conscious of it affecting the environment now. So it's both frugal and green. :D

I'm not really worried about 'global warming' persay but I do want to do right by the environment.

Things I do:
Recycle (everything! and if it can't be recycled I try to reuse it or recraft it), Conserve Energy (don't use the heat, turn off lights and appliances when not in use), Walk to and from work (I no longer own a car), Shop Local (locally processed and grown goods don't need to be transported as far etc), I compost on my apartment balcony, I buy environmentally friendly products whenever possible, I make a lot of my own cleaning products with vinegar - baking soda - lemon juice, Use cloth/reusable bags, Grow plants!, Handwash laundry and hang to dry instead of using a machine.

Gee... when I write it all out it seems like a lot...
but it's so simple.

Going to have to see what you girls do.

There is still a lot more I intend on doing too!

It's funny, so much of the stuff that my mom pounded into me and my sister's heads when we were little--out of frugalness--is now all trendy and green. ;)

* ignore the phrase 'disposable' --I wash plastic cups, drinking straws, etc. and reuse grocery bags for all sorts of stuff (that's why I haven't bought those "green" grocery bags yet---then I'd have to buy trash bags, cat box liners, etc).
* only run the washing machine/dishwasher when it's full, and don't bother with hot water when washing clothes unless I'm washing something that needs to be sanitized.
* turn off the faucet when I brush my teeth...turn off lights when I leave the room...check for drafts...
* run the heat only when necessary (I use the heat probably 5x per winter--it makes me feel better about using the a/c more!) and get a programable thermostat.
* My commute to work is only 3 miles (going to get longer soon though, sob), and I drive a Honda Civic...and I do my best not to drive in rushhour, I'd practically watch my fuel gage drop to "E" before my eyes if I did!
* I changed out all my lightbulbs when I moved into my new place

This is the same with my mom! We've always done these things out of frugalness. We do have to run the heat more than you (CT is way too cold haha), but we rarely run the A/C in the summer.

-I switched out our lightbulbs with compact fluorescents

-We cut back our use of heating and I don't use A/C

-I walk or ride my bike to work and DH has a small economic car

-We recycle everything that we possibly can

-We use rechargeable batteries along with a charger

-I only do 4 full loads of laundry each week and I use cold water and phosphate free detergent + I only use the dryer for towels and sheets

-We use bio dishsoap, same for dishwasher

-I use vinegar and baking soda to clean

-I bring my own bags for groceries + when I go to the drugstore or to the mall

-I pay bills online

-I use glass bottles that I fill with water from the tap for work

-We have energy efficient appliances

-We buy less!

I do what all I can to conserve but I'm afraid what we do is too little too late. I mean look, the Salmon are all(pretty much) gone now! What next? When we wake up one day and the Salmon are all gone...that's a very serious problem. The biggest threat to our planet is the over population and there's just not a whole lot anyone's going to do to stop that from happening. Everywhere you look, huge expanses of land are being totally wiped out of what was once thick forest to build our 5000 sq. ft. homes that use tons of electricity to heat and cool and light them. I mean how longer can we keep chopping down all the trees before the air is no longer fit to breath? News flash....no trees, no oxygen!!!!:eek:

Then you've got these crazy environmental nuts going around burning down houses because they don't think they should be built somewhere...HELLO, haven't they ever thought that now they are going to have to chop down tons more trees to rebuild those same houses that they burned down. My God the ignorance never ceases to amaze me!

We just started a recycling program in my office for paper and plastic. We also recycle printer paper mishaps by cutting them up and using the other side for scrap paper. I work at a state college, and our former president recently retired. When she left, the school took all of the letterhead with her name on it and recycled it into notepads that they distributed to all of the offices. I thought that was a pretty neat idea!

Here are the things I do specifically with the environment in mind:

- At the end of every semester I haul all my journal articles and paper to campus and put them in a paper recycling bin. My roommate and I also recycle newspaper.

-Make use of freecycle.org to get rid of unwanted things that still might be useful to someone instead of tossing them out.

-I've been slowly replacing burned out lightbulbs with those twisty energy conserving ones.

-Never ever litter and chew out anyone who does.

-I avoid meat whenever possible, this is mostly for health but I know it takes quite a bit of energy to produce and that bothers me too.

-This summer I'm going to try to make it to the farmers's market on the occasional Saturday morning to buy produce instead of getting it at Kroger.

-I will not reproduce. Not having children will probably be my biggest contribution to the environment, lol!

First off, freakin' awesome topic... I'm glad that we can be concerned about the environment while being make up addicts and looking fabulous!


-I will not reproduce. Not having children will probably be my biggest contribution to the environment, lol!

That's not my path, but I really admire and respect your decision.
*hugs!!*
Personally I will have children - but I intend to continue my lifestyle of caring for the environment and teaching them to do the same.



On the topic of Going Green!
I just wrote a crazy rant/reply on another forum about plastic bags and plastic being 'inescapable'
LINK (http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/04/15/arts/snangier.php) to the article in question.
My response:
Interesting article,
though it saddens me that all they do is bitch and moan about it and don't think about what we could do to fix this ever growing problem.

My thoughts! I think about this sort of thing often - some ideas are pretty off the wall but hell at least I'm thinking!

Perhaps bin liners should be made with biodegradable plastics (it still doesn't break down completely but into very tiny particles) until we can find a more workable solution?

Personally I'm going to attempt to use fewer trash bags myself - even though I live in an apartment. I can haul the whole can down to the trash bin, I recycle already and those items are sorted in a reusable plastic milk crate, I also compost. I don't have a lot of trash as it is because I make an effort to reduce packaging and buy in bulk. I have just made myself some mesh produce bags so I don't need to use plastic there either and I already use cloth bags and a back pack to haul groceries home.

Maybe concerned cities and other governmental bodies should create 'community' recycling, garbage and composting chutes in apartment buildings, offer large (recycled polymer) bins to houses and families - and garbage, recycling and compost should go out right away instead of being stored up in the house for a few days before disposal? Sure it'd be a pain in the ass to walk to the curb every time you had something to toss out, but we're a pain in the ass sort of species!

These are just a few ideas - just mine! Can you imagine what would be possible if some eco-friendly geniuses put their heads together?

I think it is possible to adjust our habits and life styles - not to live without plastic - but to live with less of it!

(okay hell I think I'm going to write my OWN article).

-TWMWhat do you think about bin liners and garbage bags being plastic and what do you do to combat this in your home? Do you do anything yet? Do you have any ideas?


Something else I just thought of! Make up packaging! Do you recycle it? Reuse it? Return it to stores? (Like MAC and The Body Shop encourage).

Ha, ha thanks! I'm definitely not against kids, its just something I'm not interested in, good for the environment or not...its nice when a personal decision (whether it be the car you decide to buy or whatnot) has a bonus for the earth. I'm glad you will be teaching yours to care and concern, if everyone did that I think the earth will be due for a rebound. : )



That's not my path, but I really admire and respect your decision.
*hugs!!*
Personally I will have children - but I intend to continue my lifestyle of caring for the environment and teaching them to do the same.

Ha, ha thanks! I'm definitely not against kids, its just something I'm not interested in, good for the environment or not...its nice when a personal decision (whether it be the car you decide to buy or whatnot) has a bonus for the earth. I'm glad you will be teaching yours to care and concern, if everyone did that I think the earth will be due for a rebound. : )

I hope to have kids one day...but I can't help but think of all the diapers going into the landfill! :eek: The thought of cloth diapers is a bit daunting, especially if you are on the go a lot. But I hear that they get the kids toilet trained faster because they are more motivated than if they had a super absorbent diaper that keeps them comfy. LOL. So I guess there are pros and cons for both in terms of convenience. But cloth would be better for the environment.

I do what all I can to conserve but I'm afraid what we do is too little too late.

Well, I guess it's better late than never. I know there's a lot of damage done. But I'm still hopeful that we can slow it down and maybe reverse some of it.

I hope to have kids one day...but I can't help but think of all the diapers going into the landfill! :eek:

I was watching "The Human Footprint" on National Geographic, and I believe they said one baby would use close to 4,000 diapers in 2.5 years. I think they figured the average baby used 4 diapers a day. It's pretty interesting, but insane to think about! They showed the pile that those diapers would make, and it was HUGE.

I hope to have kids one day...but I can't help but think of all the diapers going into the landfill! :eek:

I remember my aunt's joke used to be, "I recycle my beer bottles so there'll be room in the landfill for my kids' poopie diapers". :)

I hope to have kids one day...but I can't help but think of all the diapers going into the landfill! :eek: The thought of cloth diapers is a bit daunting, especially if you are on the go a lot. But I hear that they get the kids toilet trained faster because they are more motivated than if they had a super absorbent diaper that keeps them comfy. LOL. So I guess there are pros and cons for both in terms of convenience. But cloth would be better for the environment.

My mom raised my brother and me only in cloth diapers....she says the difference was amazing compared to people that she knew who used disposables!! Apparently I was potty trained very early on....IDK if that is a coincidence or not!

My mom raised my brother and me only in cloth diapers....she says the difference was amazing compared to people that she knew who used disposables!! Apparently I was potty trained very early on....IDK if that is a coincidence or not!

I don't think it's a coincidence. I think the average potty trained age is increasing. I know many who have kids close to 3 or older and still not fully potty trained. Then you combine that with crazy packed schedules...it's less time to concentrate on potty training and easier to reach for the convenience of a disposible diaper.

People in my generation were often done with potty training before 2....and that was before all the super duper high absorbent diapers.

I was a cloth diaper baby (as was dh and my brother etc) and according to our parents we were all done between 18 months and 2.

I just don't know how my mom did it with all that diaper washing without a washing machine! :eek:

I hope to have kids one day...but I can't help but think of all the diapers going into the landfill! :eek: The thought of cloth diapers is a bit daunting, especially if you are on the go a lot. But I hear that they get the kids toilet trained faster because they are more motivated than if they had a super absorbent diaper that keeps them comfy. LOL. So I guess there are pros and cons for both in terms of convenience. But cloth would be better for the environment.



I'll be using cloth diapers, My Mum survived it for my brother and I!
They worked for her and I think I can handle it. They have something neat called 'pre-folds' now too that are super absorbent and apparently better for Mom's on the go.

ETA: Stacey funny that you said you were potty trained earlier, so was I.

I've been "green" since my freshman year of college (about 17 years ago). So I'm glad that more people can see the value of taking care of our earth. :)

This is what I can think of off the top of my head (after working a long 10 hour day! So I might have missed some things that have become a long-time habit already):

-Compost: we have our own compost pile in our yard. We contribute to it daily.

-Bags: I bring my own fabric bags to use when I'm shopping

-Foods: we buy organic (as much as financially & feasibly possible), in addition to growing our own fruit (we have 12 different fruit trees/vines in our yard & they are pesticide-free, thanks to our nutritious compost!)

-Water: I bring my water in reusable plastic bottles rather than the disposable ones

-Bringing lunch to work & school: I pack our lunches (mine & my kids) in reusable tupperware-type containers to minimize using plastic baggies. We don't use brown paper bags but have reusable lunch bags.

-Diapers: my twins used cloth diapers when they were babies. People thought we were absolutely crazy! But I could not live with the guilt of knowing how much landfill waste my 2 little babies were creating. I didn't bring 2 little ones into this world to pollute it even more! Yes, there *was* a learning curve to using the cloth diapers. We did have accidents but we learned from them! I preferred the cloth diapers so much more over disposables. We had to use disposables a couple times (when we ran out of clean cloth) & my girls' little bums were irritated after just a few hours. I also provided them breastmilk for the first 15 months of their little lives.

- Recycle: we recycle plastics, aluminum, & paper goods. Our city has a wonderful recycling program. They provide us with a large recyclables trash bin & it gets picked up with our weekly trash & yard waste (which the city composts down & then hands out free to residents). We've also switched to online banking & pay 95% of our bills online.

-Walking: we walk our kids to & from school (I've only driven them once in the past 2 years, when it was pouring rain & my daughter who uses a wheelchair would have had her bottom drenched by the time we arrived at school!)

Driving: I minimize my driving as much as possible & will put off an errand one day so that I can cluster it together with another errand that is geographically closer.

-Cosmetics: I am phasing out of using petroleum-based products (which is *really* difficult, being a lipstick junkie!). I try using natural oils for cleansing, moisturizing & removing make up. I use mostly mineral make up on my face (the Maybelline Mousse blushes do slip in every once in awhile!).

-Toxic/chemical disposal: used batteries, paint, etc. We made sure these didn't get into landfills by bringing them to waste disposal centers (even before our County made it mandatory to do so).

-Water: we time ourselves taking showers (less than 5 minutes). We always run full loads of laundry & dishes. I use cleaners that are biodegradable, phosphate-free & chlorine free. I try to use cleaners that are as organic as possible, to decrease chemical usage. All our toilets are low-flow toilets.

-Thermostat: It's set at 68 degrees in the winter & 62 degrees in the summer. But we use heat & cooling judiciously. We have ceiling fans on each floor & prefer to use those instead.

-Energy: energy-efficient bulbs, using the most minimal amount of lighting as needed.

-Meat: we try to eat less meat (going for animal-free complete proteins, like beans, soy, whole grains, etc.) When we do eat meat, we go for the organic, free-range, antibiotic/hormone-free meats (which are quite pricey!)

Okay, that's all I can think of now. I'm glad that there is so much awareness now about the environment. I don't feel as alone or weird (yeah, people have told me to my face that I'm weird & that I could never make a difference myself! Well, you know what? I have my husband doing these things too & I am raising 2 very environmentally-aware young ladies!

Oh!
I know I mentioned fabric bags for shopping and mesh bags for produce...
I just had a brain wave though!
I'm going to make some nylon bags for bulk foods and spices!
I can transfer it to a glass container when I get home and wash and reuse the bag.

I forgot to mention another huge area:

-Pests: We find natural methods to kill a variety of pests in & around our home. We had a flea infestation one year & were able to kill them off with a blend of essential oils that included rosemary, tea tree & a few others that I can't remember now. (It's safe to spray on cats & dogs as well, to prevent fleas.) We kill off ants by using borax. We'll be killing termites by hiring a company that uses very concentrated, foaming orange oil (no tenting, no chemicals). Rodents??? We have our own built-in mouse killers: our 2 wonderful little cats! They help to kill other bugs in our house too. Crickets & spiders mostly.

I was always into being green as I was really into the Body Shop in high school. I believe they are far behind in terms of greeness now but they really were pioneers in their time. Also when my dog got sick I really learned to reuse and save so I could spend it on vet bills.

-stopped coloring my hair with chemicals and use only henna now. Saved almost $500 a year.

-air dry my clothes on a rack or use laundry balls to reduce drying time.
Also have the Wonder Washer, a manual hand washer for small loads.

-make my own skincare or use natural lines that are sustainable and reduce their packaging like LUSH though you really have to read the labels as they also have lots that are not natural. The solid cleansers and body butters and shampoos bars are not packaged.

-switched to cloth menstrual pads as its better for the landfill, your health and wallet. No one say "eewww" now as your great grandmother used them. If you checked out what they do to your body and what they contained you would be disturbed when you realize they are not safe. Search ebay, etsy and the web for sellers of pads. You can also get sponge tampons that you can reuse for 6 months. Hemp and bamboo are the best as the are cooler feeling and are anti bacterial.

-use a laundry soap I get from this lady on ebay called soapblackbear that comes in flakes that you melt up into liquid. It makes several gallons and I just reuse my jugs. You also can chose your scent.

-try to reuse everything, avoid using plastic bags, bring my own container or mug to the fast food courts though that is harder to do as they aren't that cooperative about it.

-walk everywhere if I can or take the bus

-eat less meat but really its cos I can't cook, buy organic or from the farmer's market and in season when I can.

-use my homemade AC by putting bucket of cold water in front of a fan or hanging laundry indoors. It can really cool down a house. Wet towels work the best.

-wear more hemp or bamboo materials as they are grown without pestcides and are fast growing plants. They are also cooler on the body and have antibacterial properties so stay fresh longer.

Squirrel, have you looked into menstrual cups? I have been using the Keeper for about 2 years, and am sorry I didn't discover it sooner. I'm glad to be relieved of having to spend money on tampons and disposable pad, not to mention throwing them away into the landfill.

Squirrel, have you looked into menstrual cups? I have been using the Keeper for about 2 years, and am sorry I didn't discover it sooner. I'm glad to be relieved of having to spend money on tampons and disposable pad, not to mention throwing them away into the landfill.

I looked into the Keeper but I always had trouble with tampons cos I just am not a heavy flow person so I dont know if I can manage one of those. Maybe if I travel though. I thought about the sponge ones though but in the end I really like my flowery and cute bugs patterns. :D I can't believe the change in attitude I have about my body. I actually dont mind Aunt Flo now.

Squirrel, have you looked into menstrual cups? I have been using the Keeper for about 2 years, and am sorry I didn't discover it sooner. I'm glad to be relieved of having to spend money on tampons and disposable pad, not to mention throwing them away into the landfill.

I totally forgot to mention that I use a menstrual cup also, to decrease on landfill waste with pads & tampons! I've been using the Diva cup for a couple years now. Yes, it does get messy, but I'm very comfortable with it (i.e. blood..... I'm a nurse, so it doesn't bother me!).

This one will never catch on, but you should try it! I bring my own tupperware containers when I go to restaurants just incase I have leftovers. Some people give me weird looks when they see me do this, but this way I'm saving a container and I have lunch for the next day :)

This one will never catch on, but you should try it! I bring my own tupperware containers when I go to restaurants just incase I have leftovers. Some people give me weird looks when they see me do this, but this way I'm saving a container and I have lunch for the next day :)

I like it! :D

I remember doing this at all you can eat buffets during undergrad! I would sneak gladwear in my purse and take lunch for the next day home with me. It is terribly tacky, but I can't eat a ton at once so I wanted to get my money's worth, haha. But that is a good idea for when you go to restaurants that you know serve huge portions.

This one will never catch on, but you should try it! I bring my own tupperware containers when I go to restaurants just incase I have leftovers. Some people give me weird looks when they see me do this, but this way I'm saving a container and I have lunch for the next day :)

Here are the things I do specifically with the environment in mind:

- At the end of every semester I haul all my journal articles and paper to campus and put them in a paper recycling bin. My roommate and I also recycle newspaper.

-Make use of freecycle.org to get rid of unwanted things that still might be useful to someone instead of tossing them out.

-I've been slowly replacing burned out lightbulbs with those twisty energy conserving ones.

-Never ever litter and chew out anyone who does.

-I avoid meat whenever possible, this is mostly for health but I know it takes quite a bit of energy to produce and that bothers me too.

-This summer I'm going to try to make it to the farmers's market on the occasional Saturday morning to buy produce instead of getting it at Kroger.

-I will not reproduce. Not having children will probably be my biggest contribution to the environment, lol!
So far I agree with and do basically all the same things posted on this whole forum, so I'm not going to retype it all.

I just had a discussion about reproducing with my boyfriend, and he feels the same way. If it happens, so be it, but we are also considering adoption. Why bring another life into the world when there are so many already here that are in serious need of care! Sure, there is that selfish side that wants to know what my spawn would look like ;), but adoption is a much more considerate option.

I'm so glad to read that so many women care! People always called me "crunchy" and "hippie," but now they finally understand where I'm coming from.

I, too, use vinegar for cleaning almost everything. It makes a great fabric softener, too. My boyfriend is getting sick of the smell, so I want to go get some essential oil to make it smell better. I want to move to Cali someday so I can dry clothes outside and grow my own food.

I also stopped supporting the large companies that use excessive packaging/promos (read: Victoria's Secret) and I call up those that use way too much paper marketing for services I already have by them, like AT&T. I probably get at least 3 mailers a week asking me to switch to AT&T, and I've been using their cable and internet services for months! Also, "opting out" from credit card offers has reduced my paper load quite a bit.

I totally forgot to mention that I use a menstrual cup also, to decrease on landfill waste with pads & tampons! I've been using the Diva cup for a couple years now. Yes, it does get messy, but I'm very comfortable with it (i.e. blood..... I'm a nurse, so it doesn't bother me!).

I just got the DivaCup, and I love it! I had to cut my nails because they pinch, but otherwise it was a great investment. It really does make a difference with cramps, too. This is going to sound really strange, but I like that you can keep track of exactly how heavy your flow is. I keep a journal. My OBGYN will be so proud. ;) Because I could go 9-10 hours without even thinking about it, I was always in the comfort of my own bathroom when I had to empty it. And I used to have to change super tampons every 3-4 hours! I highly recommend the DivaCup for women who care about the environment! At first I thought it would be gross, but it's not a big deal at all. That little cup holds it very well.

Did you have any problems with it tipping? This is what I'm scared about. I used the Nuvaring for awhile and that sucker sometimes ended up vertically in me at the the end of the day when I put it in horizontally. I think it and the cup are about the same size and just wondering what the shift factor is. An accident with that cups sounds disastrous where as a tampon wouldn't be as large scale if it leaked a bit. :eek:

I just got the DivaCup, and I love it! I had to cut my nails because they pinch, but otherwise it was a great investment. It really does make a difference with cramps, too. This is going to sound really strange, but I like that you can keep track of exactly how heavy your flow is. I keep a journal. My OBGYN will be so proud. ;) Because I could go 9-10 hours without even thinking about it, I was always in the comfort of my own bathroom when I had to empty it. And I used to have to change super tampons every 3-4 hours! I highly recommend the DivaCup for women who care about the environment! At first I thought it would be gross, but it's not a big deal at all. That little cup holds it very well.

I had some trouble with the Diva cup leaking initially, simply because there was a learning curve. I wasn't inserting it correctly & didn't get the nice vacuum seal necessary. In all honesty, it took me almost 6 months to get the proper technique down. I almost gave up but kept perservering. I'm not a very fast learner & using it once a month for 5 days didn't help either..... I felt like I was starting all over in the learning phases in the next month! Well worth the time & investment though.

Really, once you get the technique down, you will be set. For my own security purposes though, I did carry extra pads & tampons the first 6 months I was learning how to use it. So don't throw all your tampons out yet! Keep them around until you feel secure enough. Now I don't have any pads or tampons in the house & I am perfectly fine with it. :)

I just had a discussion about reproducing with my boyfriend, and he feels the same way. If it happens, so be it, but we are also considering adoption. Why bring another life into the world when there are so many already here that are in serious need of care! Sure, there is that selfish side that wants to know what my spawn would look like ;), but adoption is a much more considerate option.



Yes, another adoption advocate!!! I have wanted to adopt since I was a teen. Mainly because my maternal grandmother was adopted in China waaaay back when (& it is practically unheard of for Asians to adopt, because they're so into the "blood line" thing). It made me realize how life could have been so tragic for my grandma had a family not taken her in & loved her as their own daughter. So many awful things could have happened to her, being abandoned in China in the 1920's at age 8.

DH & I are preparing to adopt as well. We've been taking a lot of classes, reading a lot of books, & consulting with friends who have adopted as well. With adoption can come many emotional issues that the children will face & DH & I are equipping ourselves as best as we can now to be able to deal with it all. One of the biggest issues they face is abandonment.

And then, of course, there will be emotional baggage depending on (1) the age you adopt them at (the older they are, the more they will remember their early years..... We actually want to adopt older children older than 3 years old because they are more difficult to adopt out the older they get) and (2) the circumstances in how they were put up for adoption (sexual abuse, neglect, abandonment, adopted out at birth, etc.). Then, of course, there are open adoptions where family members may want to keep in touch with the children (birth parents, birth grandparents, siblings or half siblings, etc.) & there is a whole other element & dynamic involved there.

We have a daughter with a physical disability, which has made us more open to adopting another child with special needs. We actually would like to adopt a sibling group of 2 (so they can stay together & have each other...... a part of their own history intact, so to say) where one has special needs & the other is a typical child (just like what we have now). With 4 kids, I think our home will be busting at its seams!

Did you have any problems with it tipping? This is what I'm scared about. I used the Nuvaring for awhile and that sucker sometimes ended up vertically in me at the the end of the day when I put it in horizontally. I think it and the cup are about the same size and just wondering what the shift factor is. An accident with that cups sounds disastrous where as a tampon wouldn't be as large scale if it leaked a bit. :eek:

I had no problems with it leaking or moving. Your muscles hold it in place really well. I used the NuvaRing before I had to stop all birth control (blood clotting issues). The cup is different because there is more for your muscles to hold in place. Also, the cup is worn further down near the opening, where the muscles are stronger. I know that I am rather shallow in there, according to my OBGYN, so it might just work well for me because there isn't really any way for the cup to move too far up.

The only issue I had with external blood was one time when I didn't have a good grip on it as I pulled it out. Other than that, it was fine. If you time it right, you could just make sure you're in the shower when it's time to empty it out.

I do have the leftover backups, just in case. I used a liner during my whole cycle, but it was only soiled once (the popping-cup accident).