Green Living
Dear Community,
Our tech team has launched updates to The Nest today. As a result of these updates, members of the Nest Community will need to change their password in order to continue participating in the community. In addition, The Nest community member's avatars will be replaced with generic default avatars. If you wish to revert to your original avatar, you will need to re-upload it via The Nest.
If you have questions about this, please email help@theknot.com.
Thank you.
Note: This only affects The Nest's community members and will not affect members on The Bump or The Knot.
Our tech team has launched updates to The Nest today. As a result of these updates, members of the Nest Community will need to change their password in order to continue participating in the community. In addition, The Nest community member's avatars will be replaced with generic default avatars. If you wish to revert to your original avatar, you will need to re-upload it via The Nest.
If you have questions about this, please email help@theknot.com.
Thank you.
Note: This only affects The Nest's community members and will not affect members on The Bump or The Knot.
New to Green Living
Hi!! Okay, so I've decided that we need to start living more green. Where do I start? I'm a vegetarian and I'd love to start buying organic (we recently moved and I found out we have a farmer's market here, so yay!). Also, what about cleaning supplies? I feel like I know nothing about being green, now that I think about it!! So just tell me everything, haha.
I've tried doing research myself, but there's so much out there, and I knew I should just ask the experts!
Do you have any websites that could give me some good info on where to start or your own tips?
Thanks!!! 
Re: New to Green Living
It is overwhelming when you first start out! My best tip is to make changes as you go instead of all at once. When you need/want to buy something, ask yourself if there is a greener option and research it. Can you reuse something you already have? Can you buy something used, borrow from a friend or family member or get it off freecycle? When you need to throw something away, can you recycle it or pass it on to someone else?
Here are some of the changes we've made over the last couple of years:
Replace cleaners with green or homemade supplies as you run out. You'll find that vinegar, baking soda and Dr. Bronner's do just as good a job as the dozens of cleansers we think we need.
When you need new personal care products or makeup, look for green options that don't include harmful chemicals.
Walk/bike instead of drive to the nearby stores.
Use reusable shopping bags, cloth napkins, cleaning rags, etc. instead of disposable.
Recycle glass, plastic, paper
Compost kitchen scraps, grass, leaves, paper. Use the compost in your gardens. It will help improve the quality of your soil so you don't have to use chemical fertilizers and weed killers.
Plant flowers that are native to your area, which will cut down on maintenance and water use. It will attract bees and butterflies and other beneficial insects that do good.
Plant a veggie garden
Rain barrels
If you do projects around the house or need to remodel something, is there a green option? A good example is to use no-VOC paint instead of regular stuff that off gasses.
Tired after a long morning of hiking and swimming.
I'm far from an expert on the subject, but we are trying to live a more sustainable lifestyle.
For cleaning supplies, all that I use are white vinegar, baking soda, and Dr Bronner's soap. I occasionally use Method products for the bathrooms, as DH insists that vinegar doesn't clean, despite all the evidence I've shown him to the contrary.
Obviously, we recycle and try to purchase things with the least amount of packaging, etc. I take reusable bags to the grocery store, for the groceries AND the produce. I hate those little plastic produce bags. I try to purchase local and organic as much as possible.
We are in the process of moving, and once we are settled in the new place, I plan to try composting. This is also something my DH is terrified of, but I'm going to try anyway.
Again, I am not an expert and there are many ladies on this board who know much more than I do. But it's a good start for you.
One nice blog I have found is maillardvillemanor.com she has some great tips for simplified, green living. If you read through the posts on this board, you'll come across some others, as well.
Henri and Charlotte, Christmas 2012
I think it is important to start small so you don't get overwhelmed. Look at your life and figure out what you can easily change (ie: composting, turning water off when not in use, line drying clothes etc).
I have found not all green cleaners are the same so look around for some reviews and then try them out.
I have this book at my house for reference: http://www.amazon.com/Green-Clean-Environmentally-Sound-Cleaning/dp/1595910042. I think it's great for a beginniner who's trying her hand at cleaning recipes. You can probably find most of it on the internet, but I like having the book handy.
Our approach to being more EF is to just do and have less. It thrills DH because we spend less. We have a tiny house; I rarely (like 2 times a year) wear makeup or hair products; DH walks to work, and I take the train; we try to take as few plane trips as possible (work and Christmas are about it now; I must admit, my white-hot hatred of the TSA played a part in this decision but I was sort of glad for the final push); we drink tap water; we use cloths instead of paper towels; we buy in bulk and at the farmers' market to reduce packaging; I save bath water for the garden in the summer; I plant drought-tolerant plants; we invest in good shoes and clothes and repair them instead of throwing them away after they wear; I use a diva cup instead of disposable products; and I use tupperware instead of disposable plastic bags. I'm sure there are others I'm not coming up with now. I figure that not using it in the first place is better than trying to figure out how to repurpose/recycle it.
It can be difficult to get out of a consumer mindset, but once I did, it's amazing how little I shop (well, a lot of it has been replaced with Craigslist/ebay/yard sale shopping to reuse other people's things if I just have to have something). I used to shop for things when I was bored and felt like I accomplished something if I at least came home with household goods. That never happens anymore.
I agree with this. The other thing I noticed recently is that I'm actually disgusted by consumerism in our society. A few weeks ago, we stopped at the "regular" grocery store for vinegar and I forgot how huge it was. We talked about how the rows and rows of prepackaged, boxed foods full of mystery ingredients and wasteful packaging were kind of disgusting and we couldn't believe we thought we needed all of those options. We have way fewer options at the co-op but we eat healthier and the food tastes better.
Tired after a long morning of hiking and swimming.
Mrs. Meyer's (as in the cleaning products) has a book that I bought. I didn't really teach me anything but to give you a synopsis: think of how your grand/great-grandparents lived. Try to live like that. Make due, fix things, make cleaners, repurpose things, etc... as the pp have been saying. It's a good book but you can get most of the advice by reading the Green Living board.