Homemade Valentines

A few days ago I received notice from my children's elementary school regarding the number of of Valentine cards we need to send with our children. Ugh - I hate feeding into the commercialization of this holiday.

At the same time, I was preparing a lecture for my History of Graphic Design students about the invention of paper and writing, and was teaching Madison at home about ancient history and the Stele of Hammurabi.

The Stele of Hammurabi was a very important historical piece of work, as it was the first written record of laws for a civilization.

Madison and I spoke about the importance of this invention, but also about the difficulty of having something so large and heavy. Paper had not been invented yet, so all written pieces of history, law, literature, myth, etc had to be written on clay or stone tablets. One piece of literature could take 13 acres.

While all of this was happening, the Urban Sustainable yahoo group was discussing ways to reduce waste. Paper seems to be a problem in my household. Suddenly I had a eureka moment. Why not tackle a few things at once:

• reduce paper waste
• teach Madison (history and science)
• create valentine cards for the school

What did we do? We made paper!

The kids gathered up a bunch of scrap paper from sketches, old school work. drawings and the like. We tore everything up into small pieces.

We then put the scraps of paper into a freecycled blender and added water. Of course, I explained that blenders did not exist in early China. Instead a mortar and pestle would have been used to break down the fibers of wood into pulp.

We added a little color for fun. It wasn't until later that we realized that the blue marker was also coloring the water. Oops - purple instead of pink.

We put the pulp mix into a container and added water

I made a frame and mold out of items for cross-stitching- otherwise an old frame and screen will work.

Place the contraption into the pulp mix and cover it with the pulp. At this point the kids also added some hand made hearts.

Lift it out and use a soft white material (felt/flannel) onto the pulp side. Gently press to release water.

Turn it over (the pulp is face down). and continue sopping up the water (a sponge works well).


Once it can gently be removed from the frame it can be hung or placed out to dry.

disposables

Samuel - 1 month today

I am not very good at sewing. When I was a child my mother sewed almost all of my clothes and most of hers. She started to quilt after she was diagnosed with cancer. I think it was cathartic for her. Anyway, when she passed away I received one of her sewing machines. Someone borrowed it before I received it and did some damage. So, even if I could sew, I wouldn't be able to.... One of my goals is to start to sew!

My children have been in cloth diapers (AIO - All In One). However, Gavin (age 2) is keen on the idea of underwear. I thought I would venture out and find some thicker training pants. The type that are like underwear, yet thick like a diaper. I searched and searched and searched. No one carries these any longer. I guess we are supposed to be using disposables.

I know that many people prefer to use disposables because they are easier and the like, but I can't stand thinking about the waste that is created by using disposables. If I don't have options, then what am I supposed to do? Couldn't stores carry just a few for people who want to reuse? We really are a disposable society! Diapers, pull-ups, bottles, bibs, sippy cups are all disposable! Of course, I think about the corporations who know that if we use their disposable items, then we will keep purchasing them from those companies. If we have few choices, then we will have to choose the disposables over the reusables (which are unavailable).

It also makes me thikn about how much is used to create something disposable. The energy for the materials, production, distribution, disposal.... At least with cloth it is being reused (and does not have to be recreated for each use)!

BTW, I found some training pants online. I have ordered those (a justifiable purchase). I also located a place to fix my mother's sewing machine. I will NOT go through this again.

compost

This past weekend we built a compost tumbler! The tumbler sits on a stand and has wheels on the bottom to help it roll. The tumbler itself is composed of a used drum. We drilled holes in the bottom and ends to help with air flow. There are handles on the sides as well, so that we can easily turn the drum. At this point, it is easy enough for even Gavin to turn it!

We put a door with a latch on the end. It is easy to open and put in kitchen scraps, grass, leaves, newsprint.... I cna't wait to see how this works.

The tumbler is based on directions that Jonathan found from a March/April 1979 article in Mother Earth News.

Compost is a great way to turn waste into something functional. Think about it, we are turning kitchen scraps and combining and heating it so that we can use it for our gardens. Wow. Functional waste - and it does not get into a land fill!

Speaking of waste (still not using paper towel), I just purchased biodegradeble garbage bags. I had no idea htat our garbage bags would not degrade and would sit for 100 years in a landfill. Wow. I do not want to have that.

So, our waste is being reduced through a number of means:

1. compost
2. fewer disposable items (I will cut more out every week)
3. recycle and reuse
4. buying in bulk and storing foods
   

My goal is to have very little waste. Reducing consumption is helping with this. One thing leads to the next!

Cloth, Disposable, or Flushable?

Yes, diapers. The long debate has been between cloth diapers and disposable diapers. Is it better to wash diapers or the thrown them into a landfill. I have felt guilty over both options for a long time. Neither seemed very viable - either you waste water or the diaper sits in a landfill for the next 500 years. What a choice - not a great one.

So, my happy suprise when I was looking through a bulk food catalog (for a buying club) and saw a new diaper product. Flushable diapers! I read about it and was impressed and decided to do a google search. There they were. Flushable diapers. The diapers were even certified as a "Cradle to Cradle" product.

Cradle to Cradle is a book by William McDonogh and Michasel Braungart which explains a principle of how products can be designed so that even after they are used for their original design, they can still provide nourishment for somehting new. They can be "biological nutrient" that wil lreneter the water or soil without toxins, etc. They can actually nourish rather than degrade!

So, I purchased the diapers. Yes, I purchased something. I don't feel that this purchase breaks the Compact. I feel that 1) I would be purchasing disposable diapers anyway, and 2) these diapers are environmentally friendly.

gDiapers: https://www.gdiapers.com/






Cradle to Cradle




So far, they have worked well. Gavin loves them. he actually took off his disposable and helped put these on! Will keep update to the convenience and "wetness" factor!

Reducing

About a month ago I made a vow to myself not to purchase anything new. I would only purchase items that were used or that were of necessity. Everything else would be borrowed, given to me, or go without. It has been a great challenge. I have found how little I really need.

Since that time I learned more about our impact on the environment including what we have done to increase global warming, sun dimming, and more. I have now vowed to reduce my footprint in as many ways as possible. I decided to start to grow as many of my own foods as possible (I am a novice gardener), only shop at stores that I can walk to or bike to, and try to buy foods that were grown or raised within a 100-mile radius. This will all be a challenge especially with young children and expecting. I don't know if I will be 100% successful, but I want to try.

Last weekend I dug up a garden plot in the backyard. I have been watching the sun pattern since we moved here a year ago. I think I found the one good spot in my back yard. The rest is fairly shady. I also have seeds that were started abouta month ago (by me). They have all taken off. I am excited to see that things are acttually growing. I am hoping that that everything continues to grow!

I am trying to see if there is a tiller that I can borrow. Otherwise, I may rent one. I have about 2-3 weeks before I can plant anything outdoors. I also need to find some good fencing to keep the rabbits out. If I need to, I will purchase. Keeping our food from the rabbits is a justifiable purchase!