Reusable Bread Bag Tutorial

Materials needed:

• Nylon thread
• thin sewing machine needle
• 20 inches ripstop nylon (this is enough nylon for 3 reusable bread bags)

Cut list for each bag:

• 20 x 17" ripstop nylon
• 20 x 2" ripstop nylon

Soap Nuts - Natural Laundry Soap

Laundry in our household has just gotten cheaper and greener as we have made the switch to soap nuts.

So what exactly are soap nuts? Soap nuts are the dried shells of soapberries. The shells contain a substance called saponin, which creates a soaping effect. It has been used for centuries across the globe for cleaning laundry, for personal hygiene, and for several other cleaning purposes. They are hypoallergenic and naturally fragrance free.

For laundry, measure out 1/2 ounce of soap nuts (4-5 shells), place into a drawstring bag and tie it securely. Toss the bag into your washing machine prior to adding in clothing then wash using warm or hot water. Once the washer has completed all cycles, remove the drawstring bag containing the soap nuts (don't leave it in your washer). Air drying the soap nuts is not necessary if you have another load of laundry to do. If you wash with cold water (which I usually do unless I'm washing kitchen rags or cloth diapers), simply soak the drawstring bag containing the soap nuts in a cup of hot water for 3 minutes, creating "soap nut tea". Remove the bag and pour tea into your washing machine. Again, allow the drawstring bag containing the soap nuts to air dry.

Soap nuts can be reused 4-7 times. They are no longer effective when they turn light tan or grey or when they become thin and/or mushy. Spent soap nuts can be composted!

Reduce Drying Time with Wool Dryer Balls

Wool dryer balls reduce drying time by separating your clothes which break up any twisting/bundling as your clothes tumble around in the dryer. This not only saves you time but it also saves you money. They also claim to eliminate the need for dryer sheets and fabric softeners, although I've never used either of them so what do I know? 

I heard of wool dryer balls through friends and saw a few tutorials on Pinterest but I was a skeptic. I didn't see how it would make any significant difference. Recently, I was gifted some homemade dryer balls from a friend and I am absolutely blown away by the results. Before, I had to consistently add an additional 20 minutes to the end of every load of laundry that passed through my dryer. Since using the dryer balls (it's been a few months), I haven't had to add time to the dryer. Everything comes out perfectly dry each and every time. The best part is, you do NOT have to be crafty whatsoever to make these. All you need is some wool yarn (make sure it's 100% natural wool and not a blend) and about a half hour of your time. Wind the wool into a tight ball until it's about 3-4 inches in diameter, tie off the end, then place the ball in a nylon sock or pantyhose. Tie a not in the sock/hose so that the ball is tightly encased in the nylon. Insert another ball of yarn and tie another knot. Do this until you have all your wool dryer balls tied off in your sock, making some sort of funky looking ball chain. Over the next few weeks, be sure to include this knotted sock of balls in every load of laundry where you use hot water. Send the knotted sock through the dryer as well. Do this roughly 4-5 times before cutting open the sock to free your balls! Admire how fuzzy and felted they are. They will not unravel, I assure you (although, if they do, don't blame me!). Keep them in your dryer as that is their new home. 

Making Baby Food part 2 - Reusable Squeeze Pouches

Squeeze pouches are all the rage among babies and toddlers (and parents) alike. They make eating fruits and veggies fun, they travel nicely, they can be squirted on top of yogurt or oatmeal, and they keep messes down to an absolute minimum. However, at around 35 cents an ounce, they can really put a dent in your wallet. They are also wasteful as you cannot reuse the store bought, pre-filled pouches. That's where reusable pouches come in.

After researching all the different brands and styles available, I decided to order a 4 pack of reusable pouches by Little Green Pouch. I decided on this brand for a few different reasons. First, the zipper style opening that is featured on most reusable pouches is located on the top rather than the bottom. This allows the bottom of the pouch to be able to flare out, giving the pouch a nice surface to stand on. The opening at the top also decreases the risk of accidental opening (which has never happened thus far). Second, I liked that these pouches were the collapsable bag-style pouches I was already used to. Some of the reusable pouches on the market aren't really pouches at all and are more like a silicone or plastic bottle with a spout on it. Reviewers of such pouches all agreed that the design made it hard to squeeze out all of its contents and that smaller children had a hard time using them. Finally, I chose these pouches because they are freezer-safe, dishwasher-safe, and durable. They were a little on the pricy side, averaging $5 per pouch, however, after just four uses per pouch, they will have paid for themselves.

6 oz reusable squeeze pouch by Little Green Pouch

Reusable pouches can be filled with a variety of things such as pureed fruits and veggies, smoothies, yogurt, or pudding. Making your own fruit and vegetable purees is easy, healthy, and cheap. I like to freeze pureed fruits and veggies into freezer trays (you can read about making and preserving baby food with freezer trays HERE). Each resulting cube is exactly one ounce and makes blending flavors easy by simply defrosting a few different cubes together. Once defrosted (either by being transferred to the fridge overnight or by using the microwave), the mixture can easily be spooned into the pouch. Another option is skip the freezer trays all together and to put the prepared puree straight into the pouch then into the freezer. Frozen pouches can be defrosted in a bowl of warm water. They also can be tossed into a lunch bag in the morning and by lunchtime, they will be perfectly defrosted. 

From left to right: blueberries, strawberries, carrots, apples

Frozen fruit and veggie purees kept in the freezer

Clean up is a breeze as long as you remember to do it soon after the pouch has been emptied. Simply rinse it out then use a bottle brush and dish soap to scrub the inside as well as the spout. These pouches say that they are dishwasher safe (and they are) but the dishwasher will not get these clean. Food will be left in the corners and dirty dishwasher water will be pooled on the bottom of the pouch. If you are unable to clean your pouch immediately, then the best thing to do is to rinse out all excess food then fill the pouch with warm soapy water. Seal the pouch and let it soak like this until you can get around to cleaning it. Cleaning a pouch left for days, or even just a few hours, will be quite the challenge so don't say I didn't warn you! 

unPaper Towels (cloth paper towel alternative)

Paper towels is another one of those regular, everyday items I do not buy. I find them unnecessary, wasteful, and frankly, I would rather spend my money elsewhere. Recently, I started making unPaper Towels and giving them as gifts as well as selling them. They are reusable and washable, pretty, and functional. I make mine with plastic snaps on the corners so all twelve towels can be snapped together and rolled up. My favorite use for my set of unPaper Towels is using them as cloth napkins. Of course, like many things that save money in the long run, these are a bit of an investment, at $40 a roll. If you can sew, they are relatively easy to make yourself. 

For sale on my Etsy store

Reusable Cloth Toilet Paper

Prepare yourselves! This one is going to be a big pill for most people to swallow. There are actually people out there that do not buy toilet paper and instead, use cloth wipes!! I know, I know... this sounds weird and gross, right? But hear me out! Toilet paper is costly (around 20-80 cents a roll depending on what you get) and harmful for the environment. Forests are cut down just to get the core material needed for the production of toilet paper. Toxic fumes are released into the atmosphere due to the chemicals used in paper pulp manufacture. Rolls are packaged in plastic wrap that will live on in landfills indefinitely. Trucks are needed to transport the finished product from factory to stores everywhere (transportation is the largest source of air pollution in the United States). All of this and what do we really have to show for it? Nothing (but pollution)! It's all getting flushed down the toilet.

Now, if you are currently cloth diapering a baby, using cloth toilet paper is a very easy and painless transition... after all, the cloth wipes can be washed right along with your child's cloth diapers. If you are not cloth diapering a baby, then I suggest making enough wipes so that you can do a small load of laundry once a week. Cloth wipes are easy to make. A single layer of flannel with surged edges is one way to make them. Two layers of flannel sewed together, turned right side out, then top stitched is another good one. If you are completely helpless in the sewing department, you can purchase cloth wipes (used for cloth diapering), use cheap wash cloths (I buy 18 packs of washcloths for $4 to use for general cleaning), or even cut up old t-shirts. For storage, a small wet bag (waterproof and stink-proof, washable reusable bag) works wonderfully.

Another thing to consider is that using cloth toilet paper doesn't have to be an all-or-nothing ordeal. Many people use cloth toilet paper for pee only and even families that exclusively use cloth toilet paper will still buy the disposable toilet paper for guests. I strongly urge you to at least give it a try. I'm willing to bet that you will be pleasantly surprised. Cloth toilet paper makes even the fluffiest/thickest toilet paper feel like cheaply made garbage and it will NEVER leave pieces behind (take that, Charmin!)

Menstrual Cup

A menstrual cup is a small, bell-shaped cup worn inside the vagina that collects menstrual fluid. Menstrual cups are a reusable, hygienic, healthy, convenient, and an affordable way to deal with your period.

Being that the average woman menstruates an average of 40 years of her life, disposable pads and tampons add up to be a big cost (on average $100-200 per year) and even bigger strain on the environment. Billions of pounds of disposable feminine hygiene products end up in landfills every year (a tampon takes appoximately 6 months to decompose while disposable pads and plastic applicators will last indefinitely) and even more end up in our sewer systems (around 80% of women admit to flushing tampons down the toilet... something that any plumber will tell you not to do! An astonishing 75% of sewage backups are caused by flushed feminine hygiene products).

Menstrual cups are nonporous and most are made from medical-grade silicone (one cup company uses natural rubber and another uses TPE, or thermoplastic elastomer). This means that menstrual cups are the only feminine hygiene product that can be truly sterilized (cups can be washed with antibacterial soap or even boiled). They also don't have the problems that are associated with tampons such as leaving you feeling overly dry (tampons don't discriminate in what they absorb), leaving fibers behind, and wicking outside fluids such as water (when swimming or bathing) and urine. Also unlike tampons, menstrual cups have never been linked to TSS, or toxic shock syndrome.

Cups are the most convenient feminine hygiene option as they eliminate the need to buy tampons again. They are also great when travelling as valuable suitcase or purse space won't have to be occupied by pads and tampons (essentially, garbage). Another plus is that they can be worn when you're not on your period. This is convenient because you can insert the cup before your period starts to avoid any surprises. Yet another added convenience is the fact that cups have a much higher capacity than tampons. Even on the heaviest of days, it is unlikely that the cup will have to be emptied more than 3 times.

Using the cup takes a little practice as well as trial and error. Insertion is done by folding the cup into either a C-shape or pushing an edge of the rim into the cup (this is called the punch-down fold, see picture below). Once inserted, allow the cup to open back to its original shape and then guide the cup so that it sits comfortably. With a finger, circle around the cup to make sure your cervix isn't sitting outside the cup. For removal, simply pull the cup down (either by the base or by its flexible, silicone stem which can be easily cut off if preferred) until it's possible to push in a corner of the rim. This will break the seal it has created and allow the cup to come out easily. Dump the contents into the toilet, rinse, and reinsert. Rinsing isn't necessary every time so feel free to skip this step if you are in a public restroom. The cup should be emptied at least every 12 hours. At the end of your menstrual cycle, the cup should be thoroughly cleaned either by boiling or by washing with antibacterial soap. Some cup users even soak their cups in a heavily diluted hydrogen peroxide solution at the end of their cycles.

Cups range in price from $15-40 and with care, will last several years. There are many (around two dozen) different brands on the market, the most popular being the Diva Cup, the Mooncup, and the Lunette. Most cup companies offer two sizes, a small size and a large size. The small size is intended for young women with light periods that have never given birth. The larger size is intended for older women, women with heavy periods, or women that have given birth. The difference between the two sizes is just a matter of millimeters, so don't fret too much about needing a large vs a small size. A cup can be worn on its own or in conjunction with a cloth menstrual pad for added security.

FleurCup in black, stem removed

'Punch Down' fold used for insertion

Humorous, yet informative video

Cloth Menstrual Pads

Cloth menstrual pads, also known as "mama cloth", are reusable, comfortable, and absorbant. They eliminate the need to ever purchase disposable pads, which in turn creates less waste and decreases your spending. They are also a very healthy option, as disposable pads contain various chemicals, fragrances, and plastics which can irritate the skin and prevents the skin from being able to breathe. There are many different styles, colors, absorbancies, and fibers to choose from (typically cotton or bamboo) and many templates and tutorials available online if you want to try your hand at making them yourself. Even if you are not a pad user, cloth menstrual pads are still a good option to use in conjunction with a menstrual cup or tampon.

If you opt to purchase cloth pads rather than make them, you will find that they are expensive. I'd say on average, they are $5 per pad (some are more, some are less) and it's recommended to have anywhere from a half dozen to two dozen depending on how often you are able to do laundry. Some of the big names in cloth pads include Lunapads and GladRags and (I think it's important to note) both these companies do their part by donating pads to impoverished girls in Africa (I'm sure you've seen the disposable pad commercials about sending pads to Africa. I never understood how sending packaging and garbage to areas of the world where clean drinking water is hard to come by makes any sense at all). Another place you can buy cloth pads include many of the cloth diaper venders along with the hundreds of independent sellers on Etsy.

Nearly all cloth pads secure with either a snap, button, or velcro closure. Some pads contain a waterproof backing such as PUL (polyurithane laminate) or a water-resistent backing (such as fleece). They range in absorbancy from light (pantiliner) to heavy (postpartum and overnight).

If you are currently cloth diapering a baby, it is recommended to wash your pads along with the diaper laundry. Otherwise, many cloth pad users either hand wash their pads or will wash them along with a load of towels.  

Bamboo pads by Bububibi

Homemade pantiliners

Complete Cloth Diapering Guide

I absolutely love cloth diapers. I love that I'm not contributing to the 7.6 billion pounds of diaper trash that ends up in landfills each year (in the U.S. alone) that will take up to 500 years to completely decompose. I love that I'll never run out of diapers and be forced to make a last minute trip to the store. I love that I'm not puting harsh chemicals against my baby's skin. Harsh chemicals like dioxins which the EPA recognizes as being highly carcinogenic. I love that cloth diapers don't smell (I find that disposable diapers have this nauseating chemical-like smell to them) and even though I hate doing laundry, oddly enough I love doing diaper laundry (I find it satisfying). Best of all, I love that I'm not spending a ton of money on what is essentially garbage. 

I get asked about cloth diapering a lot and what I've found is that some people decide not to do it because they wrongfully believe that cloth diapering requires a huge upfront investment. The truth is, is that it really depends on what kind of cloth diaper system you decide to use. The method I chose, prefolds and covers, is among the cheapest and most versatile methods available. 

Cloth nursing pads

I was perfectly happy using the disposable nursing pads by Lansinoh but after I calculated that I was paying approximately 13 cents per pad (2 changes a day = $15/month!), I went on the hunt for a cloth alternative.

Off to the store I went where I purchased the only cloth nursing pads they had in stock. They were from Medela, they were lumpy, and I leaked through them in minutes. Needless to say, I went back to disposable pads while I broadened my search. I wasn't sure what I was looking for but I decided that if my daughter can wear a waterproof cover over her cloth diaper, that I should be able to find a cloth nursing pad with a similar waterproof cover built in. I came across some waterproof pads by Bamboobies that sounded good, but I wasn't about to spend nearly $10 per pair. Right when I was about to bite the bullet and purchase from Bamboobies, I found the waterproof bamboo nursing pads by BubuBibi. Each order includes two pair of nursing pads in your choice of print and ships for free. They average out to be just over $2 a pair! I have 16 pairs of these and I wash them along with my regular laundry. They are very absorbent and very cute!

BubuBibi waterproof bamboo nursing pads