Today's Tip: Books-Borrow from a friend or buy used

Reading is one of my favorite past times. As a child my mom used to take me to the library, where I always walked away with the maximum number of books that I could check out. But as I got older it became too easy to walk into my local Borders or jump online for my favorite titles. Over the years, I amassed quite an impressive library; many of the books I haven't even looked at again. Within the past couple years I finally got smart and started trading books with my girlfriends during our girl's nights and searching out local used book stores. Not only has this saved me money, but I feel good knowing that I've saved thousands of trees from being chopped down. I've started a collection of antique books and have also fallen in love with some great used book stores in my area, particularly Hole in the Wall books and the Book Bank. Many used book stores will give you a credit when you trade in your books for used ones; this is perfect for when your child outgrows the books that they once loved so much. So next time that you want to run out and buy the new Harry Potter book, consider this: the MIT cad lab estimated that an astounding 8.4 million trees were used to print all of the Harry Potter books. Search your yellow pages for a used book store near you. If you're interested in donating your used books, contact your local library or consider charities such as Diana's Books which receives donated books and ships them overseas to communities in need. For a list of other organizations that accept book donations, check out this site. Happy reading!

More on BPA

I've started receiving questions about my article on products that do not contain bisphenol-A (BPA), so I thought that I should add a little more information for clarity. The bottles that I listed on the previous blog aren't the only ones that are BPA-free. A fellow blogger spent a lot of time delving into the subject and created a wonderful report on BPA in children's feeding products. Two of the coolest things are a handy wallet card to use as a reference when you're out shopping, as well as a free text messaging service. If you're at the store and can't remember what products were safe or not, you can text "zrecs" plus a company name and/or a product category to 69866. You'll get a text back providing the BPA status of products by that company and/or in that category. Current categories are bottles, sippys, pacifiers, and tableware. I love this service. Thanks, Zrecs! Here's a copy of their wallet card:

If you have something that's not on the list, I wouldn't worry too much; I would just try to refrain from putting hot liquids in the container, or for using it for too long. As a general rule, plastics with the #'s 1, 2, 4, & 5 are safer than #7 polycarbonate plastics, but not necessarily BPA-free. And not all companies list the number, in which case I'd recommend calling the company or texting Zrecs. Use of the term "BPA-free" implies ALL of the parts are free from polycarbonate plastic, not just the cup/bottle itself.
BPA in bottles and sippy cups isn't the only issue. I'd check out cups you have around your house, etc. The plastic that Brita filters are made out of are o.k; they're made from styrene methylmethacrylate copolymer. Even something that you think is safe, a metal water bottle, could be lined with an epoxy or enamel that could contain BPA. Also, most people don't know that many canned goods contain a BPA liner to maintain freshness.
Basically, plastics are a part of modern life and help make life more convenient. You can't completely avoid dangerous plastics, but it's worth it to try. If you have any more questions, check out the Environmental Working Group's Guide to Baby-Safe Bottles & Formula and their Consumer Tips to Avoid BPA exposure.

Nothing Like a Good Deal

Now that I've given you suggestions on how to spend your money, here's a way to save! I found this website the other day called RetailMeNot, where you can find online coupon codes for over 13,000 stores. Just enter the store that you'd like to find a coupon for and see what deals pop up. I used it to buy some baby supplies the other day and saved 5%. What a deal!

Another Poopy Solution

Forgive me for using the word "poop" a lot, but since becoming a mommy it's topping the charts as one of the most frequently spoken words in this house. Much of my days are now spent cleaning up poo, so I treat it like the serious business that it is. When I was still prego and my girlfriend raved about how much she loved her reusable baby wipes, all I thought was "ew!" But when our little girl, Miss C, came into the world I was amazed by the waste such a cute little thing was capable of creating. Regular wipes weren't cutting it and we seemed to be going through them faster than we could buy them. If you figure you'll use 10 disposable wipes a day, then that's 3650/year! Now I am a convert and huge fan of reusable wipes. We tried out the bumGenius! Bamboo baby wipes with the Prince Lionheart wipe warmer (important during those cold northern winters). I'm sure that you could use the wipes without the warmer, particularly if you're trying to save electricity, but Miss C hates a cold wipe on her bottom.
When the wipes arrived I wasn't sure how I'd like them. I was afraid that the bamboo terry wouldn't be very soft, but it is. Best of all, the fabric gets softer with every washing. In addition to being less wasteful to the environment, I like knowing that I'm using something that doesn't contain such chemicals as fragrance, chlorine, synthetic preservatives, and dioxin (created during the bleaching process). Bamboo is a naturally occurring fiber that is biodegradable and grows quickly and easily, without the need for pesticides or fertilizers. Also, bamboo fibers have natural antibacterial elements that naturally fight bacteria growth. I wash the wipes with Miss C's clothes so that I'm not using extra water. We originally purchased 3 packs of 8 each, but just ordered a 4th pack because I don't like to do laundry more than once a week. Also, we thought they were getting a little stinky so we purchased Kissaluvs diaper lotion potion concentrate and started adding that to the wipe warmer. Now they smell great, stay cleaner, and we're not afraid to use them on her delicate face. Cottonbabies now sells a whole baby wipe kit that consists of 24 bamboo wipes, a wipe warmer, the Kissaluvs potion and bumGenius bottom cleaner (which I've yet to try); the package saves you about $20 over buying it all separately.
While visiting the Kissaluvs website I noticed that they now carry organic wipes. If anyone's tried these, please let me know how they work!

Thanks for Checking Us Out

Thank you to everyone that has taken the time to check out Sustainababy. In our first 24 hours we've received 175 hits. Please tell a friend and keep coming back!

Looking Beautiful While Supporting a Cause

Who says that going green means you have to sacrifice beauty? smashbox cosmetics' new Green Room collection contains extracts from moringa, a.k.a the "miracle tree." In addition to being a powerhouse of nutritional value, the trees provide a self-renewing food source for people in need. The products come in biodegradable or recyclable packaging and are made with eco-friendly formulas. Best of all, they look great! As an added bonus, portions of proceeds from every Green Room purchase go towards planting a Moringa tree in a developing country by Trees for the Future. (Our charity of the month, Stop the Spread, also does work with planting moringa trees in Zambia.)
I purchased their Hybrid 2 in 1 color and shine lip gloss in marigold a month ago and don't go anywhere without it. I also purchased their eye shadow quad in "bamboo." You can purchase their products on beauty.com or at your local smashbox retailer.

Buying produce: Organic or regular?

In an ideal world, organic produce would be free. But I'd be happy with it being the same price as regular produce. Since we know this isn't the case, you sometimes have to pick and choose what's really important to spend the extra money on. Luckily there are some resources out there to help. Let's start with a few basics, first:
What does "organic" mean, anyway? Organic produce and other ingredients are grown without the use of pesticides, synthetic fertilizers, sewage sludge, genetically modified organisms, or ionizing radiation. Animals that produce meat, poultry, eggs, and dairy products do not take antibiotics or growth hormones. The USDA National Organic Program (NOP) adds that organic food is "produced by farmers who emphasize the use of renewable resources and the conservation of soil and water to enhance environmental quality for future generations. " This sounds like something that I don't mind paying a little extra for...
How do I know if something is organic? Read the packaging and look for the USDA organic label. Note that the USDA seal isn't on ALL packaging though; its use is voluntary.
100% Organic: Products with this label are made with 100% organic ingredients
Organic: Made with at least 95% organic ingredients
Made With Organic Ingredients: Made with a minimum of 70% organic ingredients with strict restrictions on the remaining 30% including no GMOs (genetically modified organisms)
Is organic really any better for me? There is currently no definitive research that makes this claim, but researchers at UC Davis recently found that organic tomatoes had higher levels of phytochemicals and vitamin C than conventional tomatoes. Personally, I like knowing that what I'm eating isn't covered in chemicals or pumped full of hormones. Another consideration is that organic farming reduces the loading of contaminants in our water sources from runoff. The US Geological Service published a report that's worth checking out.
Does organic food taste any better? It depends who you ask. Personally, I've noticed a huge difference between regular and organic Dole bananas. I'm not a huge banana fan, but have been eating the Dole organic ones non-stop since I discovered them.
What if I can't afford to buy everything organic? Prioritize! Download the Environmental Working Group's wallet guide to organic produce, which ranks produce by pesticide load. The top 10 offenders are (in order): peaches, apples, sweet bell peppers, celery, nectarines, strawberries, cherries, lettuce, & imported grapes.
Happy Shopping!

Lights out tonight at 8pm

Saturday evening, March 29th at 8 p.m., join millions of people around the world in making a statement about climate change by turning off your lights for Earth Hour, an event created by the World Wildlife Fund.
Join more than 100 cities across North America in turning off the lights for an hour starting at 8 p.m. (your own local time)–whether at home or at work, with friends and family or solo, in a big city or a small town. During last year's event in Sydney, Australia 2.2 million people and 2100 Sydney businesses joined the campaign and achieved greenhouse reductions so large that if it was sustained for a year, it would be equivalent to taking 48,616 cars off the road for a year. So turn out the lights tonight and spend some quality time with someone special.