Spreading the g love

Baby Henry and his green gbum

photo courtesy of Lis

We discovered gdiapers when Owen was about 3 months old. It was in December of 2005 and they were brand new on the market. I had a real dilemma throwing away bags of dirty disposable diapers with James, but at that point, didn't want to switch to cloth diapering. That was the only other option available until gdiapers came around. Turns out cloth diapering wasn't as daunting as I originally thought, but I just needed the flushable inserts to serve as a transition.

So I started with only flushable inserts in the gpants. They had a bit of a learning curve, as we had to figure out how to fit them onto Owen's little body to avoid leaks, but one of the fabulous things about the early years of the gdiaper company which remains today is their customer service. They have a diaper hotline you can call and someone will give you a personal tutoring session in all things gdiapering, no matter how many times a day you call.

Eventually I got brave and made the switch to cloth inserts in the gpants, a decision made mostly for economical reasons, that obviously has great environmental benefits as well. These are the ones I use and love, and the brand new gcloth inserts that just came out seem very similar, and are a great deal.

If you have ever considered switching to gdiapers, this is the time to do it, as they have a fabulous offer going right now. They just introduced the everyday g's 6-pack which contains three each of the vanilla and orange gpants. The regular price is $70, but using this coupon code listed below the price will be reduced to $40.

g897Fuller

To use the coupon code, add one or more everyday g's six-pack(s) to your gDiapers.com cart, enter your code and click the "redeem" button. The price will automatically drop from $70 (regular price) to $40.

One man's trash, this woman's treasure

Ever since I can remember, I have felt at home in a thrift store. I don’t know where this love of thrifting originates—we didn’t exactly have family outings to the Goodwill when I was young, nor do any of my siblings share this affinity for a thrift store. But somehow for me, the musty smell and possibility of donated treasures really gets me going.

I certainly acknowledge that there are some things that should probably NOT be purchased used; you know, the usual suspects: underclothing, sheets, bath towels, hats, & non-stick frying pans (do you honestly think your egg won't stick to that discarded pan?).

Lately I’ve been a sporadic thrifter—popping into my favorites here and there when I’m looking for a specific item. There are some pretty fabulous thrift stores around here, and recently I've been quite lucky (I would say luck is a big part of thrifting).

So I thought I'd share a few of my lucky finds:

Two practically new Dr. Seuss books (which became a gift for 1-year-old nephew Charlie Boy) Price: 69 cents each

Many know that I find a lot of my fabric at thrift stores--this picture doesn't do this piece justice, but it is a 2+ yard piece of heavy-duty red slipcover fabric that retails for $12.99/yd. Price: $1.49

Some people are grossed out by used shoes and there are definitely some out there that should have been donated straight to the trash can.

But these two pairs I found for James--they are barely worn and fairly pricey in the stores, well, more than $3/pair, which is expensive to an el cheapo like me.

And the best find of the week: glider/rocker for the baby's room. We were planning on buying one of these anyway because the rocker we have is way too large for the tiny room we have for the babe. The one I saw at Target was around $199, and this one, which will just need recovering, was at the Goodwill yesterday for $24.99. It didn't come with an ottoman, but the ottoman wouldn't have fit in the room anyway. I was so excited to find this one.(and this pic is taken in the back of the van because we can't really fit the chair in our in our small house until we first get rid of the other one. . .)

It will be a little project to make covers for the cushions, but now we can pick fabric that will match what has already been chosen and is busy being sewn into bedding.

If you're a thrifter too, you will appreciate these random finds. If you're not, maybe you want to become one now. Otherwise, you think I'm crazy and that's okay too.

Monday Fun Find #14 & Reduce what you use: cloth napkins

This is a combo post, as I've been meaning to do another segment of "Reduce what you use" for some time now.

So, today, reduce what you use by switching from disposable to cloth napkins for everyday meals. About six months ago we ran out of our trusty package of Zee napkins and instead of buying another, I decided to pull out the various sets of cloth napkins we received as wedding gifts and actually use them.

What is the point of having sets of cloth napkins in your cupboards waiting for a "special occasion" all the while filling the landfill with disposable napkins after every meal? We decided that in our house, every meal can be that special occasion and we've been using the cloth substitutes ever since.

We've even realized that they don't need to be washed after every meal--they are good for several. I promise I wash them when they need it--but even that isn't a hassle at all. I mean, you're washing dish towels and dish rags, right? Just throw in your napkins!

My good friend Amy makes beautiful cloth napkins--many people stopped to admire her handiwork when we tried our luck at the Eugene Saturday Market earlier this year. I would prefer to showcase her napkins for the Monday Fun Find, but she hasn't quite set herself up on Etsy quite yet. (hint hint, Amy). (If you click on that link and the bad picture of us in that post, you can catch a glimpse of her napkins, or you can see them close-up here or here)

It's interesting--there actually aren't an overwhelming amount of cloth napkin makers on Etsy right now--just a few select sellers whose napkins are all very different from each other.

I will showcase one set I really liked here:

This is a set of 6 napkins made of tan medium-weight cotton and accented with a blue batik. They are made by Bren of goodkarma, a fellow member of teamecoetsy. She has a variety of unique, and well-crafted items in her shop, all made with great attention to detail.

Happy Monday!

Reduce what you use: Picnic lunches with no plastic baggies

Summer is here. Picnic season is upon us.

I don't know about you, but during the summer months, we end up eating a lot of lunches and dinners on blankets at parks. I love to eat on the go, but I hate all the waste that comes with packing a picnic.

Here's a fun solution:

• For the kids, these awesome partitioned containers that I found at Wal-Mart for 97 cents (in the kids section, by the sippy cups).

• (All food seems to be more appealing when it is served in these individual sections. Seriously, they love it every time.)

• For me and the hubby, any kind of plastic container that will hold food that isn't a ziploc baggie. Packing this way does make more work later (since you have to take home and wash all the containers), but it is cheaper in the long run and better for the environment.

Even if you just do this at one picnic this summer, think of all the baggies that won't end up in the trash. Now, I'm not anti-plastic baggie. Sometimes they are a wonderful option. I'm just suggesting we consider reducing the amount we use.