Small Green Changes for the New Year

Nix the plastic and paper with Replay Recycled products for kids and babies and unpaper towels in fun, hip prints! Shop here. 

Everyone knows that living green is something that I love and am passionate about. Every new year I try to evaluate myself and look at the changes I need to make or the things that I am slacking on. I won't lie, when you have two toddlers and you're pregnant with your third and you don't exactly have the "easiest" pregnancies, you tend to get a little lazy in the green department. 

Sometimes it's easier to reach for the disposable (but yet biodegradable) wipes or it's easier to use paper towels for silly messes. Even recycling has recently taken a backseat for me due to not enough space for us to have an indoor recycling bin. 

So what are some easy changes that you can make for the new year to live a little greener and healthier? Below I'll list some of my favorite and easiest steps, and sometimes it's things that I even have to improve on. But that is the beauty of this world, we are not perfect and there is always room for improvement. 

1. Cloth wipes. This obviously really only works if you cloth diaper, BUT there are ways around saving baby wipes even if you don't cloth diaper. Sometimes us moms love to use baby wipes for messy hands after dinner time or for wiping down a sandy baby whose been playing outside before nap time. Cloth wipes are great because with just a spray of water (or a quick run under the water) you instantly have a wet wipe for messes! We love these here! 

2. Unpaper towels. Again, this is a way to really help save some money and some trees. I catch myself sometimes reaching for paper towels too often when I want to wipe my kids hands and mouth after dinner, but with my unpaper towels I can wet them or use them dry and clean them up. Unpaper towels are also great for when you're wiping down counters and tables and need to dry them. Save your paper towels for the really nasty things and make your roll last much longer! Find unpaper towels here. 

3. Nix the plastic. I try to eliminate as much plastic from my kitchen as possible. The less plastic we have in tupperware and dinnerware, the better. Plastic leeches chemicals into our food no matter what. Whether you microwave leftovers in them or you place hot food to store in them, the heat creates a reaction that allows toxins to absorb in your food. Switch to glass containers! My favorite brands are pyrex and anchor and they are VERY affordable and easy to find! Plus, they stay crystal clear and don't get those yucky scratches and marks that plastic does. For eco friendly and toxin free toddler dinnerware, shop with us here. 

4. Recycle. I'm guilty for having put this on the back burner, so I am making it my resolution to try and improve! Recycling things such as plastics, cardboards, paper products, etc... is SO easy. If you have recycling pickup or drop off nearby, I highly encourage you to have a green heart and do so! I always feel great about what I am doing when I bring my goodies to the recycling bin!

5. Reusable totes and reusable veggie bags. Skip the plastic bags altogether at the grocery store. Bring your own totes and you can even bring your own veggie bags to bring your veggies home in. Why waste plastic?!? It's horrible for our environment and some stores like Target even give you a discount for using your own bags. 

Making small changes shouldn't stress you out or become such a BIG change that you can't adjust. Start small and feel good about every little thing you do to make a change. Little changes can mean BIG things. After all, YOUR health is so important to your children's future AND this planet is so important for their future as well. 

Let's take care of both!