Crunchy 3-6-5

#19

2011-05-07T08:30:00.004-05:00

Recycling! So, I grew up recycling. I remember my mom taking us every week down to the center. I use to love sorting the plastics from the aluminum. I remember the center had these huge blue containers that had faces on them.

Anyway, when we moved to our current city I was disappointed that there was no recycling center! Are you kidding me? Get with the program, people! Well, that was a few years ago and now they finally have one!

I've made weekly trips since they opened. You don't realize how much trash you throw out, until you are separating your recyclables.

So not only is recycling good, but we also have cut down on our trash bag usage due to less trash!

Neglecting Blogger

2011-05-07T08:27:00.001-05:00

So, I have a seriously bad habit of starting a blog and then neglecting it. I've done it quite a few times. But, I will try to stick with this one! I'll be posting soon!

#18

2011-02-05T21:42:00.008-06:00

Laundry is definitely something that gets done a lot around this house. One day I would LOVE to have a high efficiency washer and dryer set. Front loading and on a lift...now I'm dreaming. Ha! But until that happens, I will make do with what I have.

I purchased dryer balls! They are chemical free and take the place of dryer sheets. They help with static cling and dry your clothes faster. The more you have, the better. I purchased four!

I've already done a ton of laundry using them. I really like them! I don't have a brand link, as they were a no-name from Wal-Mart. They were $5 for a set of two.

#17

2011-01-31T13:07:00.003-06:00

So I've come to realize that a lot of my changes are going to be baby oriented! So here's another one!

My youngest son just turned 4 months old, so we wanted to try out some baby food! We decided to go with Earth's Best Organic Baby Food. We went with 1st Sweet Potatoes. They are USDA organic, have no added salt or sugar, no artificial flavors, colors, or preservatives, and are vegan. All in all I think this product was a great choice for baby food!

My son, however, wasn't quite ready. I don't think he has fully lost the tongue reflex that pushes objects out. We will try again soon!

#16

2011-01-31T13:00:00.002-06:00

I bought my youngest son Johnson's Natural Baby Lotion. He was starting to show signs of eczema, so I wanted to try something more natural for his skin. This lotion is 98% natural and contain no animal byproducts, parabens, or dyes.

My baby's skin is doing very well and is very soft! I will say the smell takes a little getting used to. It doesn't smell bad, but is doesn't have that 'traditional' baby lotion smell...which is probably a good thing!

#15

2011-01-07T22:55:00.002-06:00

My 3 month old has begun teething! I decided to try Hyland's Teething Gel. This product is 100% natural. No parabens, dyes, sugar or artificial flavoring.

I've only used it once so far; but it worked well for my teething baby!

#14

2011-01-07T22:27:00.003-06:00

We started using Palmolive Eco+ dish washing liquid. It's phosphate free which makes it friendly to lakes and streams.

So far, so good. It doesn't clean as well as Cascade, but it's way cheaper and more green!

#13

2011-01-01T01:22:00.005-06:00

For number 3 the change is small. Really small. But, hey every little thing counts, right?

I bought Burt's Bees Replenishing Lip Balm with pomegranate oil. This product is not tested on animals and is 100% natural! The tube also contains post-industrial recycled plastic.

I really like this stuff! It goes on smooth and has a great taste!

I go through lip balm like crazy, so while this change is small, it will add up over the long run.

Happy New Year!

#1-12

2010-12-19T01:24:00.006-06:00

So, it's not New Years yet but I've already made some changes!

I replaced 12 incandescent light bulbs with CFL bulbs! They were put into light fixtures that are used the most. The master bedroom, living room, oldest sons room, dining room, and the hallway.

The next places to add them will be the bathrooms, youngest sons room (we're currently co-sleeping), closet, laundry room, and the kitchen.

The brand we used is called EcoBulb (60 watt equivalent) and the cost was a box of 12 for $24.99.

Product Changes

2010-12-08T00:11:00.017-06:00

I thought I would share what products I currently use and plan/hope to change or get rid of.

Health & Beauty Items

Dove Damage Therapy Shampoo and Conditioner-- I hope to go No 'Poo. However, I have naturally curly hair and if No 'Poo doesn't agree with my hair then I will search for a natural or organic shampoo and conditioner.
St. Ives Body Wash and Lotions-- I haven't found a product I want to switch too just yet. I would like to try some homemade remedies.
pHisoderm Face Wash-- I also would like to try some homemade recipes. I have acne prone skin so if homemade doesn't help, again something organic would be ideal.

Cleaners

Lysol Multipurpose Cleaner
Lysol Kitchen Cleaner
Windex
Pledge
Mean Green
All Free & Clear Laundry Detergent

-- I really want the only cleaners I use to be either vinegar or borax. If I feel those are not working well enough, I will try either Method or seventh generation.

What do you use?

Introduction

2010-12-02T19:23:00.000-06:00

Welcome to my journey! My New Years resolution is to lead a more natural, healthy, and green lifestyle. Or as many call it, crunchy!

My goal is to do one crunchy thing a day for a year. Hence the title, Crunchy 3-6-5. I won't be starting until the first of January. I'm using December as my 'research' period. I've become quite obsessed with the notion of being crunchy.

I wanted to share my journey with others to not only possibly help others, but to also keep myself motivated.

I'm 27 years old, married, and have two wonderful sons ages 7 and 2 months. I want my kids to have the best in life, and I think being crunchy will help this.

Please feel free to share any and all advice!