Ok, I want to step up my eco-effort. Anyone want to join me?

[zizou]

We've got into a rut a a bit. We recycle fervidly,buy seasonally/fairtrade, try to cycle, use ecover products,try and buy less, don't buy excessively packaged things, but I do seem to buy a lot of mineral water when I'm out and about, and also coffee in takeaway cups. So I am pledging to a) take a travel cup to the coffee shop b) stop buying mineral water. I also need an environmentally friendly oven cleaner, because I have been using the evil and heinous Mr Muscle - simply through not knowing an alternative.Anyone got one? Anyone want to join me on an eco-pledge?

I think you are right about the question of what is wrong with loo roll. Paper does rot away in time and can really beneficial for composting processes etc.

The way i see it is that there is still a process involved in the manufacture of loo roll, including recycled paper. The thought of using non-recycled loo paper, (ie cut a tree down so that i can wipe my bum.... )is just tooooo much! We cant get away from 'process' completely by using cloth, however, the shirts and sheets have already been processed, worn, loved and slept between, i use my 15 year old sewing machine which hardly uses any power, i wash them with the towels and underwear with Bicarb, vinegar and teatree oil, and i get to create really pretty cloths that are soft and gentle on my nether regions. After i tried it (albeit with some trepidation!) it was SO soft - i dont think i will ever go back to scratchy paper as long as i have a choice.

I am not sure if anyone relates, but when i was making them, i remembered that i once ran out of baby wipes when my littlest was a tiny baby and i had to wipe him with loo roll. I felt like i was wiping his soft bottie with sandpaper.

I still have loo roll available - i buy novelle too - for people that come over or the children if they choose to use some.

Love your bum!

Squidette, don't feel bad about hijacking - you are obviously WAY greener than me and can therefore lead the way with your eco-pledges! I won't be joining you in your family cloth idea, though much respect....really interested in whether you manage not to buy anything for a whole year.

I have managed to keep up my pledge to only get coffee in travel cups and cut out mineral water. I next need to reduce my dependence on high street stores. I work full time - not something I am prepared to give up for the sake of greenness - I love it and it is ethical - but it does mean shopping 2nd hand is not always practical. Or am I in denial?

bump anyone, tell me how to reduce my dependence on high street stores!

This is my real green achilles heel. I haven't got time to shop in charity shops, I have to shop opportunistically when I am in town for meetings and stuff. I am a weird size - ok - I'm fat - so every time I try to buy something online I have to return it, as nothing is ever the size it is meant to be.

So I am aware that I dress myself and my children in probably sweat shop produced clothes. I am still doing a very 90s boycott of GAP but I realise that's ridiculous as GAP have stepped up since the no logo thing and other companies are probably just as bad.

Squidette, other deep greenies, what should I do?

do you WANT to change your shopping habits? It sounds like you do, but cant balance the desire with finding the time?

I have to say that i adore second hand shops and jumble sales (but still get embarrased by all the elbowing that goes on!) so when i opportunity shop, it tends to be in those places.

I usually make a list of things that i will need and keep it with me - like shorts or tee's for my eldest, or glasses, napkins, wool - that kind of thing. Then when i am in town after work, its a treat to mossy on round the second hand shops looking for such items. AND perhaps spotting something else i love!

Last week i bought a fab skirt, 3 bandanas for the summer as i did eventually try bicarb shampoo-ing and i love it so, 2 pairs of shorts for the children, a set of 6 50's glasses (for one pound). Dependence on high street shops used to equate to dressing to win approval - from both myself and others - since i dont seek that anymore, the means of delivery seems to be redundant, if you see?

Dressing ethically is not necessarily just about second-hand/organic/non-sweatshop and so on, but also about you finding a level of comfort that you are happy about. I choose to buy this way as i dont want to spend my time working to earn money to spend on new fashions - i would rather work part time and spend less on pre-loved items. But thats just me and its still pretty new for me.

I do, Squidette, believe me, but a)my meetings are not normally in places with many 2nd hand shops and b) IME the best clothes in 2nd hand/"vintage" shops are in smaller sizes. I really really don't want to stop my job, even though if I went a deeper green I could probably save all the money I earn and more. I love my job SO much but because dp works so hard as well we end up cutting corners due to lack of time.

Full time it is, because you love it! I once heard that when you love your job it isnt a job, its a pleasure. I do feel that way about where i work too, but also love the time i spent elsewhere.

Time seems to be the issue more than money it seems? Catalogue shopping or online shappong can be useful, but as you mentioned earlier it can end up spending more time sending it all back! Plus the frustration and annoyance that comes after the search, the aquisition, the purchase, the wait, the parcel, the oh-bum-it-doesnt-fit.

Would working out some time at the weekend for you to have a whole day out wandering and choosing a few items with consideration, rather than rushing in-between meetings in a semi-constant always-looking mode help? I am lucky in that way as i do have time to do these things at the weekends if i choose to as the children spend time with dad. But then again, i dont think that has to be only for parents that are not together!

Can I just nip in to point out that on the Indian sub-continent (my mother is Indian) people wash instead of loo roll; yes, this uses a bit of water but I'd think it was a much, much better way to go!

Squidette I'm in awe! I've got a whole heap of prefold nappies which I'm replacing to use shaped, I was going to sell them but I'm going to use them for one week as toilet cloths and see how we go.
The main pledge I'm making from April 1st really is to not buy any new clothes at all. I have all the babies in the loft and my mum bought me a sewing machine for my birthday. I'm going to make all our clothes for this year. I've started by asking if each grandparent can knit one cardigan, hat, jumper and gloves for my kids for the Winter. Buying them each Autumn always costs a small fortune. My mum's started already! I'm halfway through my first dress for my Dd. Will keep updating though if others do.

I will think about all this Squidette, but how is the Compact in general going? Has anyone else been brave enough to join her?
Oh, and Sq -Do you make your own moisturiser? Does it smell good?

Yes! Its going well. I had a slight dilemma over a broken flymo blade and where the heck i was going to get a used mowing blade from! But i did buy a new one, under the Health and Safety exception that if i dont cut the grass, the slugs have even more long grass to hide in and breed, and more of them will make their morning slide across the path, and so the probability that i will stand on one is increased, leading to screaming, panicing, falling over and breaking a bone... How's that for a rationalisation?

Other than that, and a couple of things for work, i have not bought anything new.

I do now make my own skin and hair stuff - i use extra virgin olive oil as a moisturiser with half a drop of lavender EO. I was worried that i would break out into a greasy slick, but actually, oil dissolves oil, my skin is LESS greasy now. For a wash, i just use honey which tends to be quite moisturising anyway, and an oatmeal and salt scrub every other day. Your skin is the largest organ on your body and absorbs anything that is put onto it. It feels nice to make this stuff, experiment and 'grown-up-potion make!' as well as being cheaper, healthier and i am learning something new too!

Thanks for asking i am having fun.

sorkycake - great! That is what i did at first - just cut up some material and see how it went. I found a good size, i learnt that sewing a zigzag (i dont have an overlocker/serger) made them fray, but after a few washes, the fraying stops. Then i sewed them right sides together with a slit, turned them out and sewed round the edge - no fraying!

That is part of this journey for me - trying things out. Not everything will work for me, or us, and something will and other things can be adjusted-to-fit.

I just ordered 'Sew What! Skirts: 16 Simple Styles' from the library yesterday and i am looking out for a pattern to make knickers now! Although underwear is allowed in my purchases, i think i 'want' to learn to make them.

Wow, you have all inspired me!! Love the idea of washing with honey s I hate all the chemical cosmetics stuff but have had to give up my nice greener ones as they are too expensive now I've decided to be a sahm.

Zizou, who suffers from really greasy skin owing to med origins, goes to raid kitchen cupboard for olive oil....OIL dissolves OIL !.. please keep posting your findings! Squidette, actually, have you got time to do a blog? I think it's so interesting what you are doing, and deserves a wider audience.

zizou - this is how i found out about it. I dont know the source, but if you google 'oil cleansing method' you will find out more. I would love to blog, and have been thinking about it and have got as far as setting up a blog, but havent done my first entry. The privacy issue was niggling at me, but I feel encouraged to continue with it now.

Cleansing and moisturising with OIL!! .....

Acne sufferers have long noticed that a gentle cleanser is more effective than a harsh one. By stripping the skin of all of the natural oils, glands produced even more oil to compensate, escalating the severity of breakouts. By gently cleansing and then applying a light moisturizer, the face was cleared of acne causing agents without aggravating the condition.

Now more people are using oil to clean their faces and help their complexions. People who use the oil cleansing method prefer to use oil to dissolve oil on your skin, rather than harsh cleansers. They know that oil will never bond with water, making some water based cleansing methods ineffective. They are also aware that breakouts are not necessarily caused by oil, but by foreign substances in the pores, in addition to heredity and hormones.

Instead of breakouts, people that regularly use the oil cleansing method report soft skin with a healthy glow. They also report that the oil cleansing method reduces their fine lines and better moisturizes their skin. Other people choose the oil cleansing method because of the cost savings in comparison to expensive skin creams and cleansers

It is important not to confuse the oil cleansing method with specially formulated cleansing oils. Cleansing oils are combined with other ingredients so that they emulsify with water and rinse away. While they are popular and could help your skin, they are not what you should use for the oil cleansing method.

To try the oil cleansing method you will need an oil with no additives such extra virgin olive oil, castor oil, or grapeseed oil. Some people claim that castor oil is a more cleansing oil with healing properties, while olive oil is more moisturizing. What is known is that oils like grapeseed and almond are lighter than castor and olive oil. The only true way to know what oil will work best for your skin is too try it. You can also try combining different types of oils to get better results.

The oil cleansing method can be time consuming, so be sure to have at least twenty minutes to try this technique. Over time you can streamline your method to make this process quicker. Also, many people begin trying the oil cleansing method at night and using their regular skincare regimen in the morning.

Before beginning the oil cleansing method, pull back your hair and wear an old shirt. Then spread a liberal amount of your chosen oil on your face, neck, and chest. Do not worry about cleaning your face beforehand.

Next, wet a washcloth with hot water and lay it over the oil on your face. Wait for the washcloth to cool to room temperature to remove. After you have removed the cloth, slowly massage the oil into your skin and neck. Use firm circular strokes and take your time, concentrating on the T zone of your face. Do not scrub or use your nails. You want to simulate the type of relaxing massage you might receive during a facial.

Using a new hot facecloth, drape it on your face and wait until it has cooled. Then use the facecloth to carefully remove all of the oil. Use additional clothes or rinse out the one you are using to be sure that every drop of the oil has been removed.

Splash your face with cold water to refresh and make your pours appear smaller. Then apply a moisturizer. You can use your regular moisturizer for this step or a very small amount of the oil you used for cleansing. Massage until the oil is completely absorbed. Some people find that they do not need the moisturizing step. Evaluate your skin after removing the cleansing oil to decide for yourself.

Like any change in a skin care regimen, it will take time to truly decide whether the oil cleansing method is a good way to clean your skin. Some people report a breakout after a week of using the oil cleansing method, but these problems normally clear within a few days. Others have no skin problems to report. Devotees of the oil cleansing method report a healthy glow to their skin and a lack of acne. Try it and see if it is right for you.

Guys we could have a special thread to keep each other updated.
Wanted to say as well Squidette that I have lots of the flymo things, I'd be happy to give you one or two if it snaps again! (as they do)
Maybe we could swap stuff, help each other out with the little nuisance things we"ll need to replace but don't want to IYSWIM. I'd be up for that. I'm used to trading services for services (not that kind of service btw)it's really effective. I haven't had to pay for my haircut, car fixed, or a plumber in years!
The shed we're building for our allotment this year has been free so far. We have double glazed windows, doors, a polycarbonate roof, we're now gathering the wood ready for building this Summer. It's my mission to build it for free, as the original estimated cost was 600 pounds!!!
What do you think? Squidette you posted so eloquently on this I nominate you to start the thread

Thanks for all the info about oil cleansing. How long does it take? Its sounds lovely and relaxing but my mornings are very rushed so not sure I could fit that in (when I am in the bathroom it takes all my concentration stopping my newly crawling baby from getting into the toilet or the nappy bucket!!)