Fluff Talk Thursday - Earth Day Edition

Happy Earth Day Everyone!

This week for Fluff Talk Thursday, we are talking all about how we can Reduce, Reuse & Recycle. Now, the last "R" seems to get all the attention, so I would like to focus you back on the first "R". That is where I try to spend my time and attention. I try to first and foremost, reduce!
And how do I reduce my family's waste, you ask? Well, we try to find alternatives to all the things we so easily throw away. Starting with cloth. Cloth is a great thing, and unlike paper, it can be washed and reused multiple times. If you are already a cloth diapering Mama you know the benefits of cloth. Easier on the environment, easier on the bum (baby's that is!), and easier on the wallet. But, have you tried cloth wipes? I love mine. I have a wide array of sizes, colors and materials. In a pinch they can work for drooly chins, dirty fingers, and my DH has even used them as a hanky. I love multi-purpose items!

Then there are the "un-paper" towels. I won a lovely set of Autumn colors and have been loving them. They are soft and gentle for wiping little hands and faces, but they also wipe down my counters wonderfully. I also have the regular white "rags", dishcloths and washcloths in my cloth drawer in the kitchen.

What about all the ziplock bags? Or resealable bags with the food saver? Or the plastic containers (probably full of BPA...) in your kitchen? Well, we switched to the always economical and very reusable mason jar. I actually think they look rather pretty showing off all my beans and rice. What do you think?
Okay, these are just a few of my Earth Day tips. Do you have any to share? Please leave a comment. If you want to read more blogs on this topic, be sure to click on the Fluff Talk Thursday button at the top. Happily Domestic has a collection of blogs on her Linky. Cheers!

Fluff Talk Thursday - Line vs Machine Drying

Okay, let me first get one thing off my chest. I decided to finally take the plunge? Have I gone off the deep end finally? Well, just maybe. See, I have been cloth diapering for over 2 years. I bought a Bummis starter box and a set of Kushies AIOs before my son was born. Boy have I learned a lot since then! With the addition of a few more diapers in varying styles and sizes, a mess of cloth wipes and a recipe for wipe solution I am going to finally make the 100% switch to cloth. With Earth Day around the corner I think it is fitting. Please give me moral support if I start to bend under the pressure! Disposables have really been my crutch.

Okay, onto Fluff Talk Thursday. This fabulous Meme was started by Happily Domestic and you can link back to her by clicking on the button at the top of this post. The topic for this week is all about drying your diapers. I use cloth diaper for many fabulous reasons including the environment and energy/money savings. Obviously I enjoy line drying because it fits in well with those goals. Unfortunately I live in Oregon where we call a light shower "Oregon sunshine". This makes it tough. I do my best, but know that I can't always wait for a break in the clouds.

Here are my pros for line drying:
1. Helps to whiten my whites
2. Saves time drying (my diapers usually dry in one hour outside vs. multiple drying cycles)
3. They smell very nice
4. Cost effective
5. It frees up my dryer to do other things (like the mountain of laundry always haunting me!)
6. Less noisy than the dryer

And the cons:
1. Crunch, hard diapers
2. A big mess in the yard if the wind gets ahold of them
3. CCNRs.... not an issue for me, but is an issue for others I know. Clotheslines are often forbidden
4. Requires a sunny, or at least dry, day

Now I have dealt with the crunchy diapers by line drying and then tossing them into the dryer for a fluff cycle. This is still better than the 2-3 drying cycles needed to dry them without line-drying.

I would love to know what has worked for you and what your preference is. If you want to join in on Fluff Talk Thursday, write on this week's topic and join the Linky on Happily Domestic. Super duper easy!

...oh, and stay tuned for my trials and tribulations as I try to break the disposable habbit.