During a recent investor call, Whole Foods talked about the organic business in light of challenging economic times.  Here is the comment by their COO Walter Robb, “Organic remains a strong part of the business, and I think the trend association just released new data on the size of the organic industry at $26 billion for the growth rate of 5 to 6 percent. Our own internal numbers show very clearly that. And you can look at the Nielson numbers too — organic dollars and units, while they’re down from historical double-digit results, are still well ahead of conventional growth rates.  That tells us, and we see it in our own data, that organic continues to be (important to us) even in the darkest of times.”

Everyone’s consumer dollar counts and clearly a lot of us are still choosing to take the organic road…

As a new mom, I did a lot of research about using cloth diapers. I read many articles, both pros and cons, of using cloth diapers over disposables.  I have since landed somewhere in the middle.
I was lucky enough to have my sister as my nanny for the first few months after I returned to work.  Luckily, she was (mostly) amenable to using the cloth diapers.  After much research, I choose the BumGenius brand of cloth diapers.  These are really amazing and I have been very happy with each style I have purchased.  My favorite is the fitted style, solely because they are easier to launder and put away.  No inserts to stuff after they come out of the dryer!  Also, I did buy some “seconds” from cottonbabies.com, and they still look perfect to me.
This site is not to be missed, not only for the great products, but also for the vast information regarding cloth diapering in the modern age. Check out the blog on Cotton Babies for more tips and information: http://clothdiapers.blogspot.com/

The other key purchase I made that I would recommend to all new moms is the flannel wipes.  These are the perfect size for not only as wipes, but also for all kinds of spills and spit-ups in the early months.  They get softer with every wash, and it is a lot easier to through the wipes into the Wet Bag with the cloth diaper for the laundry.  What is a “wet bag” you ask, well this is a waterproof bag for all the dirty cloth diapers.  There are many pretty print options available, and I choose the bag over a pail as I think it’s easier to tote down to the washer. I also purchased a small size for the diaper bag.

We are now using a mix of disposable and cloth as my daughter now attends day care full-time.  They are not able to handle the bulk of storing each child’s dirty diapers separately.  It was a disappointment to me, but we still use cloth diapers at home and over the weekend.  My husband still calls them “fake diapers” but it makes me happy to know I have made a contribution to reducing the use of disposable diapers.

Green Glass Co. makes use of used wine bottles and more to create beautiful glassware and gifts.
My favorite is the Beachglass votives, which are unfortunately sold out due to their popularity.  The Cobalt glasses with etched fish are on my wish list too.
If you have a large collection of glass bottles, they may be interested in purchasing them from you.

Check out the site for a full range of products and purchasing details: Green Glass Company

We go through about 5 bottles of seltzer every week in my house.  Although we buy the large bottles and recycle them, it is still a lot of plastic we purchase.
I discovered the seltzer maker by Soda Stream.  Check out their online store which has products starting at $89. 
I am a fan of the Pure machine, with sleek lines that would blend in on the kitchen counter.  It would pay for itself in about 16 weeks.  Plus the carbonators can be refilled, futher reducing waste.

Sodastream Fountain Jet Soda Maker Starter Kit

Here is a fun article from Greenopolis.com about eco-friendly snow removal. 

With another snowstorm coming, I have no excuse to get a good workout in shoveling!

Before of harmful ice melting products.  Those meant for pets are much safer for our furry friends and also your lawn.

Happy New Year’s Eve!