Raising A Green Family

With the impending birth of our baby my husband and I have been looking at ways to live greener and make sure the addition of a new little one isn't accompanied by an enormous carbon foot print.  Here are some quick and easy tips to raise a green baby and care for the planet too! 

CHOOSE ECO DIAPERS & WIPES:
Did you know that 80% of parents choose disposable diapers for their little ones?  This amounts to 18 million diapers or 82,000 tons of plastic and 1.3 million tons of wood pulp (250,000 trees) per year in land fills.  It's estimated that a disposable diaper takes anywhere from 250-500 year to biodegrade.  Don't even get me started on the toxic chemicals contained in commercial disposable diapers.  We chose to go with G Diapers for our little one.  G Diapers are certified 100% biodegradable and compostable within 45 days.  They're also free from toxins and chlorine bleach so your little one will have a fighting chance against diaper rash.  You purchase the re-usable and washable diapers and then fill them with the biodegradable refills.  When changing diapers you simply remove the refill, flush it, compost it or toss it and place a new one in the diaper. 

Learn more at the G Diaper website: 
http://www.gdiapers.com/ppc/biodegradable-diapers?gclid=CM_Anozs5qMCFQs_bAod-nz_3g

Did you know that most wipes contain parabens, chlorine and synthetic fragrances?  I don't want any of these chemicals touching my baby's delicate skin so I began my quest for the best eco wipes.  Earth's Best Baby Wipes are Chlorine-free, Alcohol and Paraben Free and contain skin softening Aloe Vera and Vitamin E.

You can purchase both G Diapers and Earth's Best Wipes through Amazon by the case and if you sign up for their auto shipping option they'll deliver them right to your door with free shipping and a deep discount.
http://www.amazon.com/Earths-Best-TenderCare-Chlorine-80-Count/dp/B001TUZI2A/ref=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8&s=grocery&qid=1283367718&sr=8-9

REDUCE, REUSE AND RECYCLE BABY ITEMS:
With the addition of a baby comes a whole lot of gear, toys and clothes.  The green movement motto "Reduce, Reuse and Recycle" is perfect for this situation.   We have been fortunate to receive many items from friends and family that have been gently used and are in near mint condition.  Whenever we can eliminate purchasing new items for the baby we feel good in knowing that we're not adding more plastic packaging to the landfills.  Plus accepting friends and families generous donations saves a lot of green too!  Check out Freecycle, a great site dedicated to reducing waste by helping people recycle goods. 
http://www.freecycle.org/

MAKE YOUR OWN BABY FOOD:
My husband and I planted our first organic garden in the spring.  We plan on growing our own organic food and making our own baby food.  Baby food is expensive especially if you're buying organic.  We figured we'd cut out the middle man and grow our own food.  It's been great fun watching our garden grow and harvesting the fruits and veggies.  All you need to make your own baby food is this handy little machine and some organic fruits and veggies.  It feels good knowing exactly where your food is coming from and that your not contributing to pollution by consuming pesticide laden foods.  You can freeze the baby food in small portions and use it as needed so none goes to waste.
http://www.williams-sonoma.com/products/beaba-babycook-baby-food-maker/?pkey=x|4|1||4|baby||0&cm_src=SCH 

GET COMPOSTING:
Our latest venture to live greener has been the addition of our composter.  Composting really makes you aware of how much food you're wasting.  After a great deal of research my husband settled on a composter from Home Depot, it's even made from recycled materials!  Our compost will turn into rich fertilizer for our garden within 2-3 weeks, no more trips to Lowe's to stock up on bags of pricey organic fertilizer.
http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc1vZ1xhc/R-202018156/h_d2/ProductDisplay?langId=-1&storeId=10051&catalogId=10053

GREEN YOUR BABY'S BATH TIME: 
Given that I run a green business dedicated to healthy bath, body and cosmetics this one was a no brainer.  Many parents don't know that the bottle of baby shampoo you're so fond of is loaded with toxic chemicals.  We recently attended our hospital sponsored baby care class and the woman leading the lecture emphasized repeatedly the importance of keeping chemicals away from newborns.  She even suggested that for the first two weeks new parents should only use damp paper towels rather than wipes on their newborn.  When I asked her what products the hospital used to bathe the babies she showed me a bottle of the dreaded Johnson and Johnson and said they only used it becuase they get it for free.  Luckily she said that we could provide the hospital with our own products to bathe our baby.  We're going with my line of baby care products by Noli n Nali.  These products are great for baby since they're free from all of the chemicals in maninstream baby products and that makes them better for the planet too!  No harsh chemicals washing down the drain and polluting our waterways!
http://www.green4yoursoul.com/products/noli-n-nali-chamomile-willow-baby-shampoo.html

There are many more ways you can raise a green baby.  For additional tips check out Deidre Imus's book "Growing up Green".  Even if you only make a few small changes you will make a huge impact and set a great example for your child.
http://www.amazon.com/Growing-Up-Green-Child-Bestselling/dp/1416541241/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1283367293&sr=8-3