I have a confession...

While I have had a lot of thoughts on this I have been afraid to blog about it...

Why? Well, I've been a bit worried about the reaction. Or the fallout. And even the potential retaliations if this whole thing doesn't go well.

No. I am not pregnant. Hush your mouth.

I am going crunchy.

No really.

And by crunchy I mean green, hippie, eco-minded...and possibly a little crazy.

And why?

Well, I'm not exactly sure. I don't know what has gotten me so into this kick of reducing our environmental footprint and trying to eliminate so many of the harmful chemicals that are in our daily lives. Maybe it was reading an article about the carcinogens found in baby shampoos. Or that there might be a link between antiperspirant and breast cancer. Or seeing an image of the number of diapers used in the three years the average baby wears diapers along with the fact that the very FIRST disposable diapers ever used are still sitting in landfills and will still be there when my children's children's children are old.

Maybe I'm feeling trendy. Or I've succumbed to the peer pressure of Pinterest and all those DIY recipes for shampoos and face masks and laundry detergents.

Either way. The Dowd family is going green.

Step one is to ditch the diapers. Also, I'm ditching the commercial shampoo and conditioners and hopefully hair products. Going to make some of my own lotions and washes. We are going to start a lot of "reduce, reuse, recycle" as well. I will be trying out some natural deodorant and making my own baby wipes. We will also be trying out some natural and DIY cleaning products and trying to "green" our medicine cabinets.

Overall, I'm really excited about this whole endeavor. A month from now, I may be greasy, stinky and exhausted of this whole little project. In which case I feel like a bit of a buffoon. But I doubt that will happen. I mean...it probably won't.

At least the diaper thing is going well so far. I have been VERY happy with the cloth diapers I was given by a friend to get me started. I only have four right now, so we are still doing a whole lot of disposable diapers. And we may continue to use them at night because the baby seems to pee ridiculous amounts at night and I'm not sure I can pack enough padding into the cloth diaper to last that long. I hope we are able to find something that will work without using disposables but I'm not against some compromise. Besides, 30 diapers a month is a lot better than the 240ish we are currently using. And I'm excited about the money that will be saved as well. We are averaging $30 a month on diapers right now. I found my stock of cloth diapers on eBay for $45. Plus got my stuff to make my own reusable cloth wipes and some all natural diaper ointment. I also needed to buy some natural soap to wash the diapers in (and I'm using it on the baby's clothes too) and a couple of wet bags to keep the used diapers in. All in all, with everything I've bought, the total expense has been less than $100. I will round up and say $100 for the start up investment. And I won't have to buy anything else for baby to poop in, pee in or wipe her butt with. I think that's pretty awesome. And if we decide to have additional kids, the diapers will carry over. If we don't, they've got a pretty high resale value, so I will be able to get at least part of my investment back. Seems like a win-win to me.

Next on the list is the new deodorant. I don't think I will have any problems since I don't tend to have a lot of perspiration or stink anyways. Then replacing cleaning products and detergents as we run out with the green varieties. I've also gone with some all natural black soap for washing and my skin has really appreciated it. And I'm nearly out of lotion, so I will be making my own batch soon with shea butter and coconut oil.

I still have a bit of shampoo left before I try either a no 'poo or honey 'poo method. I can already go nearly a week between washes without greasy issues, so I don't think I will have any problems with either of those. My only concern with the no 'poo method is that a lot of people have issues with over-drying from the baking soda and apple cider vinegar.

I will have a hard time giving up my commercial face wash and make up products. Though I only wear make up a couple of days a week max. I am pretty attached to my foundations and mascaras and especially my commercial cleansers and moisturizers. But who knows, I may get brave if all the other "natural" products work out.

Any green products you have tried that have worked? Or maybe that didn't? Suggestions for things to try or avoid? I'm very open to suggestions!