It Takes How Long to Decompose?

For some reason, last night I decided to research how long it takes stuff to decompose. When I was growing up, we never thought about stuff like this, at least my family and friends didn’t, despite the eco movement of the ‘70s. When disposable diapers came out, everyone rejoiced. But, did you know it takes between 250 and 500 years for a disposable diaper to decompose (biodegrade if you will)? According to The Real Diaper Association, U.S. parents use about 27.4 billion disposable diapers a year. In case you were wondering, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that to be … Continue reading

Lessons Learned The Hard Way: Avoid Oil Paints

I’m a pretty laid back person and encourage my children to always try new things. Not much irritates me or has made me fret over how white my carpets are or how clean the floors are. This peaceful aura was only accomplished after having raised five daughters, mostly on my own. However, several years ago we tried an art project that made me wish I had a time machine that would transport us back to the day before I conceived this bright idea. A fan of the Charlotte Mason method, I loved teaching my children about classical music, books, and … Continue reading

Does Sea Salt’s Benefits Outweigh Its Price?

This subject came up the other day when my friend Styrofoam Sue told me that she had switched from table salt to sea salt since it’s so much healthier and doesn’t contain a bunch of impurities. She went on to say that she heard some supposed health expert lecturing about the dangers of table salt since it’s “filled with sand and glass.” Sue honestly thought that every time she sprinkled some salt on her food that she was doing her body an injustice and perhaps harming it. True, I’m no salt expert, but after hearing her tout the wonders of … Continue reading

Eating Healthy On A Frugal Budget

Too many people tell me that the reason they eat such unhealthy meals is because healthy food is expensive. I tend to disagree with them, but converting these spendthrifts isn’t all that difficult when I tell them that our family of four eats pretty healthy and my food budget is half of the national average (according to my online research). I’m not a health nut by any means, but it doesn’t take a genius to figure out that junk food makes you feel terrible and it doesn’t cost less than healthier foods. Not to mention you’ll have fewer trips to … Continue reading

The Conversion of Sytrofoam Sue Into a Frugal Environmentalist

Who knew that being Green could mean being frugal as well? One of my friends wasn’t aware of this, that’s for sure. Before I started blogging here at Families.com I was visiting her and listening to how proud she felt that she was becoming “Earth Friendly.” Actually, it was a big step since my nickname for her was Styrofoam Sue. That woman would go through more foam plates, bowls and cups than ten people could in twice the time. Okay, the only reason she joined the Green movement was because her latest boyfriend that she met online is into environmental … Continue reading